Time For School
by Straw-hat-Writer
Summary: Luffy's the new student at school & was picked on the moment he stood in front of the class. But one person stood up for him when no one else did. He slowly becomes good friends with her, but will her past tear them apart? AU. Rated for language
1. Chapter 1

**I have another story or your enjoyment. I had this idea stuck in my head for a long time until i finally decided to write it. I hope everyone likes it. Read and review! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or any of it's characters. I do own the OC. **

**Key: **

" " **- Dialogue**

' ' **- Thoughts**

_**Flashbacks

* * *

**_

Chapter 1

'It's another day in this accursed place. Another 7 hours of my life wasted away. Why be here when I can do so much more? Being surrounded by idiots who know nothing, and not accomplishing anything. But I do have those other three with me. They aren't so stupid. They've been with me ever since I…'

"Hey!" greeted a curly, black haired boy, bringing the student back to reality. "I was so close to being late when I ran into a gang. Luckily I had my secret weapon with me today," he continued.

'I stand corrected. I have 2 others that aren't so stupid.' His friend listened with no particular interest while looking out the window. The daydreamer did look over occasionally because he was flailing his arms like a bird, or threatening to do something to her text books.

"And that's how I was able to make it to school before the bell!" he exclaimed. Just then a tall, straight haired girl walked over to them. The student turned around and was patted on the head by the tall girl. She smiled while her friend growled and looked forward.

"Hey, Robin," greeted the boy. She lifted her hand from the other and greeted him back. The girl took her seat, got out a book from her book bag, and opened it to a page. The bell rang and the other students of the class sat down in their seats. The teacher was still out in the hall speaking to someone. The boy took this chance to just talk to his two friends, though the one by the window took no interest in his lies.

"Usopp take your seat now!" called the teacher as she walked into the room. He quickly stumbled into his seat in front of Robin. There was giggling in the classroom that was soon silenced by a slam from her textbooks. She shook her head and sighed.

"Today, we have a new student in our homeroom. Please welcome, and treat our new student respectfully unless you want an extra book report to do. Understand?" asked the teacher. The class nodded except for the one student who always stared out the window.

"That goes for you too!" the teacher yelled out, looking at no particular student. But the right person responded with a mere look at her. She rubbed her forehead and cleared her throat.

"Come in now," she called out. The door slowly slide opened just a crack to show half the face of a boy who was obviously shy. The teacher waited a moment before impatiently gesturing him into the room. He sighed, opened the door, and walked into the room closing the door behind him.

The class looked at him with bewilderment as he walked across the front of the room. He held his book bag in front him with both hands looking down at his feet when he walked.

There were whispers, and giggling from a group of girls sitting around a red haired girl. The teacher shot a glance over to them and they immediately silenced. He stopped and turned towards the class. Robin and Usopp looked at him with questions in their eyes while their friend gave no interest at all.

"Introduce yourself," she told the boy. He nodded, and lifted his head to face the class. The three friends looked at him, even the one by the window but with a bored expression.

"I-I'm Luffy." he stuttered, trying his best to smile.

"Hey there, weirdo," commented a green haired boy. Luffy dropped his head down in fear now. There was a series of suppressed laughs in the classroom from everyone except the three friends. The teacher slammed her hand on the desk and bent over it.

"Alright, now I told you to treat our new student with respect. I guess you guys want that book report. Everyone, except you three, does a book report due 3 days from now," she announced. Everyone groaned in disappointment as the boy still stood in front of the class fiddling with the edge of his skirt.

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**Sorry for making the 1st chapter so short, and giving a cliffhanger. I didn't want much happening in the beginning. I promise to make the 2nd Chapter longer. Review please. I think I made Luffy too OOC in this chapter. Correct me if I'm wrong.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I have returned with Chapter 2! I worked hard on this one. I tried to make it long and not all mixed up. I hope i did a good job. Enjoy reading it! **

**Zoro: She doesn't own One Piece, or any of the characters. She does own that pain-in-the-ass daydreamer.**

**Luffy: What was that? -cracks knucles-**

**Zoro: Nothing... O O;;;**

**Key:**

**" " - Dialogue**

**' ' - Thoughts**

**_Flashbacks_**

* * *

Chapter 2

'Luffy. Doesn't sound like a good name for him,' thought the student by the window, which she started staring out of again. She felt a tug on long, white hair, and whipped her head around to see Robin pointing towards Luffy. The bored student looked towards the front to find Luffy looking at her. He quickly averted his gaze out towards the teacher.

"Go take the seat in front of her," said the teacher pointing at the student Luffy was looking at. He slowly walked down the rows of desks to his seat. On the way, he heard whispers and laughing which made him clutch his book bag tighter.

"Hey, you loser," remarked the same green haired boy.

"Zoro, you just earned everyone another book report for everyone to finish," snapped the teacher. He got a slap in the back of the head by one of his "friends". Luffy quickly sat down in his seat, and took his text books out.

"I'll give you guys a study hall today," remarked the teacher. "You four can do what you want during it. The rest of you come up here to receive your book." The class broke into talking and whispering as they got up. Luffy put his text books back and sat quietly as the classroom grew louder.

"I'm going to get juice. What do you guys want?" asked the daydreaming girl.

"Green tea for me," replied Robin, who was continuing to read her book.

"I want… Milk Tea," replied Usopp who was stretching. The girl looked over at Luffy. He was looking down and frowning at himself while being laughed at by the red haired girl and her friends.

"What a loser to be wearing a girl's uniform when you're a guy," she remarked. The girl walked up to her and replied, "Well now, at least he doesn't look like you in the uniform." She gasped and backed away a bit. The girl scoffed and went back to her friends.

"What about you?" she asked while tapping him on the shoulder. He looked up and was silent for a moment. She looked at him with a bored expression, but he still felt the kindness from her heart.

"Milk is fine," he answered in a whisper, fearing what the other girls would say. She looked at him for a minute and told him, "You don't need to be afraid of what other people think. Just care about what you think, and be yourself." He thought about what she said as she headed for the door.

"Thanks… ummm…" he stuttered. She looked back over her shoulder and replied, "Terin," as she slide closed the door behind her. He stood up, pushed in his chair, and went after her. When he opened the door and looked down the hall, he saw her standing in front of a bulletin board. Terin looked over and saw him walking towards her.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked.

"I wanted to come help bring the juice," he answered with a smile. She just looked him with an absent expression, but he still smiled at her. She glanced back at the bulletin board with a saddened expression, and then began walking down the hall.

"Bring your parents to school and show them everything you've done to make them proud," he read after finding the poster she glanced at. He scratched his head in confusion, and ran to catch up with Terin.

'I wonder what made her look at the poster that way,' he thought as he looked at her with worry. They reached the juice machine, added the money, ordered the drinks and waited for them to come.

"It's nothing to worry about," she said after noticing his unsettling face. He jumped from the sudden answer, but smiled widely with relief. They grabbed the drinks and headed back to the classroom.

"Why are you wearing the girls' uniform?" she asked after thinking about it for a long time.

"I like how I look in this one better. That's why," he answered. She watched him walk with a smile on his face and life in his steps, something completely different than what happened earlier.

"If you like the uniform, how come you were afraid of what they said about it?"

"I wasn't afraid of what they said about the uniform. I was just nervous about coming to a new school, and what they said didn't make it any better." Terin didn't think about it that way. Most guys would've been more embarrassed to be in a girls' uniform than being the new kid.

"We're here!" he said with a joyous feeling. Terin opened the door and both of them went to her friends. Terin sat down next to the window and the rest sat around her. Just as they were about to have a sip of their drink, Zoro came over in a relaxed fashion. He came up behind Terin, and bumped into her roughly, making her spill her drink all over her desk.

"Oops. My bad," he "apologized". Terin was about to stand up, when Luffy shot up from his seat.

"Back off!" he yelled after clenching his hands into fists. Zoro looked at him up and down, and smirked.

"Quit being a pervert," remarked Usopp while drinking his tea. Normally he wouldn't say this, but he had his friends with him, and they were all in a classroom.

"Shut up!" he yelled after blushing. "I'll get you laterfor that and you too." He gestured to his snickering friends and they all left to their seats.

Terin came back with some paper towels to clean up the mess. Robin and Usopp took them and gladly cleaned up for her. She sat down on the edge of the window, and began staring out of it again, thinking.

'He stood up to Zoro even though he barely knows me. He was probably returning the favor. Who'd stand up for a person like me?' She was interrupted from her thoughts by Luffy coming up from behind her, worried again.

"Is something wrong?" he asked her. She looked at him in a sort of awe for a moment before shaking her head. She noticed the clock on his wrist which was a Jolly Roger with the cross bones as the minute and hour hands. She saw the time and hopped off the edge. She grabbed a thick text book, and stood a few feet away from the door. Luffy tilted his head in confusion, and saw her friends watching her.

'5… 4… 3… 2… 1'

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**Ta-Da! A Cliffy! What's gonna happen? Why is she counting down? Next time on Chapter 3! Reviews are appreciated. **


	3. Chapter 3

**I finished this one the same day as the 2nd chapter. Yey for me! I hope you guys like it, and Read and review. It will be appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece... or it's characters. I do own Terin.**

**Key:**

**" " - Dialogue**

**' ' - Thoughts**

_**Flashbacks**_

**

* * *

**

Chapter 3

Luffy felt the ground underneath him shake then saw the door fly open.

"Sorry I'm late!" yelled the student that ran in. Just at that moment, Terin threw the thick text book right at his torso, making him fall back towards the door. Usopp broke into loud laughing and was rolling on the floor. Robin was laughing too, but in a more controlled fashion. Luffy wasn't sure whether to laugh along with them, or go help the poor guy.

'Wh-what just happened?' thought Luffy as he stood there perplexed. The late student crawled back into the classroom, and Luffy could see a clear view of him.

"What was that for?" groaned the blond haired boy. Terin looked at him with a blank expression, picked up the text book with both hands, and placed it on the teacher's desk.

"You're too noisy. So I shut you up," she replied. She sensed Luffy standing behind her and looking over her shoulder. They were about the same height, so the blonde haired boy couldn't see him at first.

"Sanji, this is Luffy. He's a new student here. Luffy, this is Sanji."

"Nice to meet you," he said smiling. He was standing next to her now as Sanji got up, dusted himself off and greeted him back. He noticed Usopp rolling on the floor laughing and clenched his hand into a fist. The three of them walked over to the laughing duo and took a seat.

"Quit laughing or I'll kick you in the head, you bastard!" yelled Sanji. Usopp didn't stop at once, but he did eventually since it hurt his sides by the time he was done.

"Good Morning, Robin-chan," he greeted in a sweet manner. Luffy was confused by these double sides of Sanji. While taking a sip of his milk, Sanji finally noticed he was in a girls' uniform.

"Luffy. Why are you in a girls' uniform?" he asked. Luffy smiled widely, and stood up.

"I look better in this one." Luffy wasn't in a sad mood anymore, now that he had friends to be around.

"Well, I have to admit, it does look like it fits you better," he replied with a smile afterwards.

"You like how it looks on him, don't you Sanji?" asked Usopp in a sly voice. Blushing, Sanji turned around and kicked him in the head. Luffy blushed too, but he was laughing about it. Terin sighed and rolled her eyes as Robin laughed again.

"How come you don't say much?" Luffy asked Robin. She just smiled at him and took a sip of her tea.

"Robin's a rather shy and quiet type. But she's fun to be around too," answered Terin as she tried to pry Sanji away from a half-dead Usopp.

"Well, well. If it isn't the curly brow cook," said a certain green hair boy. Sanji immediately stopped struggling against Terin and looked at Zoro. She let go of him and stood a safe distance away. Luffy was in an angered mood now. His fists were clenched and he didn't look like he was going to hold back against anything Zoro would do.

"What do you want, you shitty swordsman?" he replied. Zoro smirked, grabbed Sanji's shirt, and pulled him up.

"A fight, you and me, later today," he proposed.

"You want your ass beaten that badly, again?" Sanji remarked. A vain popped and Zoro pulled back his fist. Luffy was about to throw a punch himself, but Terin was faster. She grabbed Zoro's fist, and kicked away Sanji leg which was about to land itself against his ribs.

"I thought you said the fight was later today," she said. He scoffed, shook his hand free, and let go of Sanji. The bell rung and the class dispersed. Zoro began leaving too. He grabbed his bag, and kicked a nearby desk, sending it flying towards Terin. Luffy was about to jump forwards when Sanji stopped him. She stopped the desk with the palm of her hand, and gently placed it on the ground.

"Too slow, dumbass."

He rolled his eyes, and stormed out of the classroom. The teacher saw the whole thing, but didn't bother to try anything. She believed that she would've made it worse.

'Whoa. That was amazing,' thought Luffy. 'I wonder where she learned to fight like that.'

"I hope you guys are hungry, 'cause I made big bentos for you today," Sanji announced. Usopp cheered, and Robin thanked him which made Sanji swoon to no end.

"Let's go before Zoro comes back," suggested Robin. Everyone nodded and gathered their things to leave. Luffy sat where he was, and looked down at himself. They all stopped before leaving the classroom to look back at him.

"Come on, Luffy. We'll lose our lunch spot if we don't hurry," said Terin. He looked up with surprised eyes.

"Why are you so surprised? You're our friend now," remarked Usopp.

"He's right," said Robin. Luffy couldn't help but smile his widest. They all laughed except for Terin. She wasn't like that. He grabbed his bag and ran after the group. They all walked together down the hall. Sanji and Robin were talking about something that made Usopp laugh and walk next to them. Luffy stuck with Terin like glue since she was his first friend. But she didn't mind too much.

'There's something about him that makes me think about… it,' she thought as they walked down the halls to go outside. She watched as Luffy walked happily down the hall, and smiled his idiotic smile.

**

* * *

**

**Another Chappy Done! Yes! And this one doesn't have much of a cliffy. Please review. That's all i'm asking. If you want to know what happens next, you will review. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4! Before you start reading, I would like to apologize to Nami and Zoro fans for what happens to them in the story. I really intended to make a bunch of new characters, but I wanted do something different with the crew. I still hope you can enjoy my story. Once again, I apologize. **

**Disclimer: It was in the other chapters... so... you know what goes here...**

**Key:**

**" " - Dialogue**

**' ' - Thoughts**

**_Flashbacks_**

**OoOoOoOoO -Scene Change**

* * *

Chapter 4

Luffy hadn't seen the other side outside of the school yet, so he was looking around with awe. He looked at every tree, and flower that came within a few feet of him. The other two guys were already annoyed by Luffy's curious nature. So they and Robin left to their lunch spot first while Terin stayed around with Luffy.

'It's almost like he's never seen the outside world before,' thought Terin. He was looking at a butterfly that landed on a nearby flower. He slowly stretched out his hand towards it, but it flew off the flower and onto his face instead. He turned to Terin with a warming smile to show her.

'Such a naïve mind he has. Completely oblivious to everything around him," she thought as she looked up at the trees. A slight breeze blew the leaves around Terin, also making her white hair fly around as if it had a mind of its own. Luffy blushed at the sight of her, and quickly turned away.

'I hope she didn't see me,' he thought. Seeing Sanji waving his arms at them caught his attention. He stood up, dusted his clothes, and tugged Terin along with him towards the lunch spot.

"What were you guys doing?" asked Robin when they reached the rest of them. Luffy immediately started drooling after seeing the amazing food Sanji prepared.

"He was having a good time looking at Nature's gifts," Terin answered after taking a seat next to Robin. Sanji and Usopp handed out the bentos as Luffy searched his bag for his. Everyone had begun eating by the time he found out it wasn't there.

"What the… I know I made one and put it in here," he whined. Terin observed his bag carefully and pulled out a very light box.

"Is this it?" she asked. He turned sorrowfully, but brightened up at the mere sight of it.

"Yes!" He grabbed the box and lifted the cover.

"A… ano… it's empty," remarked Usopp. Luffy was still with his "happy face" frozen on him. Terin waved her hand in front of him and he dropped his head.

"Damn it… I did it again. I ate it on my way here!" he whined. All of them looked at Luffy trying to determine whether he was a high school student, or a child with no self-restraint.

"Hey there!" said an annoying high-pitched voice. Everyone, but Terin and Luffy, turned to see the red haired girl from before. She was smiling with her arms crossed, one hand holding an orange, and standing in front of two guys.

"What is it that you want with us, Nami?" asked Terin without looking at her. Just then Sanji jumped up and grabbed her hands.

"Is it that you would like to accompany me, a lonely cook, for lunch? Oh how generous of you princess," swooned Sanji. Nami was blushing a bit before Terin threw her bag at his face.

"What do you mean by "lonely"…" she questioned. Nami came back to reality and looked straight at Luffy. She walked around the group and set herself right in front of him. He looked up to find two guys bending down and grabbing his arms.

"Hey, let go of me!" he yelled as he struggled to get free. But they had a tight grip on him. Nami made a gesture towards a field of grass and the two thugs tossed him right into the air towards it. He was able to land on his feet, but slipped due to the mud underneath him.

'Shit! I'm going to-' but it was too late. He fell on his face, and some students started laughing at him. He sat up in the mud, and stayed there. He started wiping his face free of the mud.

"Teaches you to be a disgrace to this school!" yelled Nami. Terin placed her bento down and stood up. She clenched her hands into fists and suddenly disappeared. She reappeared right in front of one of Nami's goons. He was knocked square in the face and flew several feet away. Nami didn't even have enough time to turn to see what happened. Terin disappeared again, and showed up next to the other goon, kicking him in his stomach also sending him flying a few feet.

"Ah… I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't really mean to, they made me do it!" cried Nami. Terin eyes were shadowed, but you could feel the disgust she felt from that answer. She raised her head enough to show one eye.

"Bullshit," she whispered in a dark tone. She disappeared again, grabbed Nami by her shirt, and threw her into the muddy area too. She landed roughly on the ground, and didn't try to get up. Sanji regained consciousness and looked around.

"Oi… don't you think you went a little too far?" he asked while rubbing his aching head. She scoffed and dusted off her hands and clothes.

"Say what you want. I went easy on these guys even though I've simply had it with her attitude towards anybody." She began walking towards Luffy and offered her hand to help. He gladly accepted it with a smile, and they returned to the lunch spot.

"Great job, Terin. But what about the evidence?" said Usopp after taking a bite from his bento.

"Don't worry. They won't remember a thing, and I don't think Nami will want to remember anything." Everyone else laughed at the ordeal as if they've been through it before. But it was interrupted by a loud rumble from Luffy's stomach.

"Gomen," he said, blushing. Terin handed her bento to him and pulled back her hair.

"Have mine. I'm not in a good mood anymore, so I think I'll head back to class first."

"When are you ever in a good mood?" remarked Sanji. She hit him in the head with her bag again, but he remained conscious this time.

"What the hell do you keep in there?" he exclaimed. She opened it to show several textbooks and two dictionaries. He looked up at her with a popping vein and clenched fist and the two began bickering.

'She had to protect me again. Why can't I just stand up for myself? I know I'm strong enough, but…'

"What's wrong, Luffy?" asked Robin, interrupting his thoughts. He shook his head and began eating away at the bento Terin gave him.

"Well, see you guys back at class," said Terin as she left a twitching Sanji on the ground. "Oh yeah. Usopp, take Luffy to that laundry room you found and clean him up." He nodded and she left.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"Hmmm… she's turned a bit soft with this new child introduced to her," muttered a deep voice as the owner of it watched Terin enter the school. "Who is he? I must do something about it quickly. Time is running out and it will soon begin."

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**Oooo... a cliffy again. I orginally didn't have this idea, but why not introduce another person? XD Is he good? Is he bad? No one knows... Wait. I do. X) Review and you'll get to know what happenes next. Bwuahahaha...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! Sorry for the wait. I've been busy with things. I'm happy with this chapter, and i appreciate everyone's review. If there's spelling/grammar errors, please tell me 'cause my spellcheck's been on the fritz. This chapter's kind of a explanation chapter, forgive me if it's boring.**

**Disclaimer: You know what i'm going to say...**

**" " - Dialogue**

**' ' - Thoughts**

**_Flashback_**

**OoOoO - Scene Change**

* * *

Chapter 5

The bell sounded and it was time to go home. Terin was staring out of the window again as the class started to leave. Luffy turned around in his seat and waved his hand in front of her face. She turned to see a smiling Luffy, and sighed. She knocked him playfully on the head and stood up to go and join Usopp, Robin and Sanji, who were waiting for them at the door.

"Ah… so many things happened today. I didn't think school would be so exciting," said Luffy who was stretching. "I'm glad it's Friday 'cause I'm beat!" They laughed as they all walked together down the street. Terin was quiet and looking off in the distance again.

"Well, this is where we part, Luffy," said Usopp followed by a wave from Robin. They waved at the departing two, and continued down the road.

"Usopp and Robin live together?" asked Luffy. Sanji pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Terin shook her head and pulled back her hair again.

"No. They live close to each other though, but they never met until they were about 5 years old or somewhere around there. Actually, that's when we all met," answered Terin. Sanji blew a puff of smoke into the air, and placed his hand into his pocket.

"Jeez, Sanji. When did you even get into that filthy habit anyway?" asked Terin.

"Oh come on Terin. Quit actin' like you're my mother. Besides, ladies love the smoke," he replied in a suave manner.

"Of course. What surprises me the most is that you don't end up smelling like an ashtray at the end of the day. Zeff doesn't like you smoking anyway, right?" Sanji shrugged and ignored the question.

"Who's Zeff?" questioned Luffy. Terin looked towards Sanji before saying anything.

"Zeff is Sanji's mentor and… father, in a sense. Ever since he was little, Zeff was the only adult figure he had. Which means he's also the reason Sanji has such a short temper."

"I do not have a short temper!" he snapped back. Luffy laughed as the two of them started bickering again. Then he suddenly stopped in his tracks. The other two looked at him after walking a few inches away. He turned around, and the two saw what he was looking at.

Zoro.

"Looks like you forgot all about our fight. Now get over here so I can kick your ass." Sanji pushed past Luffy and stood in front of Zoro. He took off his bag and threw it towards Terin who caught it.

"Actually, I wanted you to forget so I could get to work on time. I'm quite surprised you were actually able to get here without wandering all over the campus first."

Zoro pulled off a bandana tied to his left bicep and tied it onto his head. Then he reached behind him and pulled out one sword, which he placed into his mouth. Luffy scratched his head, and looked at Terin for an explanation. Then he pulled out two more, one in each hand.

"You see, Luffy, Zoro's a swordsman who uses Santōryū, a three sword fighting style. He can also fight with one and two swords, but three is his strong point. He's captain of the kendo club at school, and trains at a small dojo nearby." Luffy nodded in understanding, but Terin could tell right away that he didn't get it.

"Wait. That's not fair! Sanji doesn't have any swords to fight with!" he pointed out.

"Don't worry about that. Just watch and you 'll see Luffy." answered Sanji. "There's been too much talking. How about I give you what you came for, you green haired bastard?"

Zoro lunged first, swinging the two swords in his hands. Sanji jumped, easily dodging the attack, and kicked him in the shoulder. Zoro spun around and swung with one sword, and then the other. Sanji jumped off both of them and landed a few feet away. Zoro turned the blade on his sword and attacked Sanji again, this time hitting him in the ribs.

"Why are we just standing here watching? We should be helping!" yelled Luffy. But Terin held him back. He looked back as the fight continued on.

"Don't worry. I'll interfere when the time comes. We've been through this many times." Luffy calmed down a bit, and turned back to the fight. Sanji was on his hands, and spinning around, but his kicks were being blocked by Zoro's swords. Luffy tilted his head and noticed that Sanji was using only kicks during the fight. As if she was expecting him to ask the question, Terin started explaining about Sanji's fighting tecnique.

"Another thing he picked up from Zeff. Zeff's philosiphy is that hands should never be harmed in any battle for they are used to cook. Because of this philosiphy, he began developing a fighting style that only involved the feet in a fight. And being Sanji's mentor, it was only natural to pass it onto him as well. Though I still don't get why a cook should be developing a fighting style."

Just then a rather large piece of concret flew and hit Terin on the side of her head. Luffy was surprised and wanted to help, but was frozen on the spot. There was a dark aura that made the hair on his neck stand on end.

'Oh shit,' thought Sanji who just landed on his feet. He ran towards Terin, grabbed his bag and Luffy, and dashed off a safe distance. Luffy just ran along with a blank expression.

"Oi! Come back here you bastard!" yelled Zoro. Sanji reached a street and hid behind the cornor with Luffy.

"What's going to happen, Sanji?" he asked. But Sanji just ignored him and shook his head. Terin looked up at Zoro with a deathly glare and smirk, and cracked her knucles.

**OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**

When Terin woke up, she was being carried by Sanji. She blinked a couple of times, and groaned. Luffy turned and smiled, glad that she was awake now.

"What happened?" she asked wearily as Sanji put her back on the ground. He pulled out his cigarette and put it out.

"Wow, you woke up way before I would ever imagine," he remarked. Luffy tilted his head, and looked from one person to the other. Terin was scratching her head, trying to remember what she did.

"You went berserk again," answered Sanji.

_Flashback Explanation_

"_Ahh! What the hell is wrong with you?" he yelled. Terin had her foot on his back, and was pulling at his arms. _

"_That's what I should be asking you!" she replied in a menicing tone while continuing to pull at his arms. "What the hell were you thinking throwing a piece of concret at me?" she exclaimed. _

"_That wasn't me! That was Sanji!" he replied out of pain. _

"_Liar!" she yelled while continuing to beat the shit out of him. _

_End of Flashback_

"No wonder I kept hearing this screaming in my head," she said. She glanced over at Luffy's watch and saw the time. "Hey Sanji. You better hurry before you're late for work again."

"Oh shit. If I'm late again, I'll lose my head to his foot," replied Sanji as he dashed off down the street. He quickly waved a good-bye over his shoulder, and disappeared around the cornor.

"Oh. I didn't relize we made it this far. This is my stop. See ya, Luffy," said Terin. She opened the gate to the front yard, closed it behind her, and waved a good bye to him. He waved back and began walking down the street by himself when she slipped into the house.

'I met so many new friends, and learned so much about them today. I'm glad I moved now. I still wonder about that poster Terin looked at. Ah! Gotta get home quick!' He jumped up and ran the rest of the way home with his genuine grin on him.

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**There you go! I like this chapter, and i hope you did too. Now you know more about the characters, from my point of view. Chapter 6 will probably be added tomorrow since most of my attention is focused on this story. I hope you look forward to it!**


	6. Chapter 6

**My computer hasn't been very coperative lately, so sorry for my late add-ins. I worked extra hard on this one for you guys. Hopefully, I can update tomorrow too. **

**Disclaimer: Already in all the other chappys...**

**" " - Dialouge**

**' ' - Thoughts**

**OoOoOoO - Scene Change**

**_Flashbacks_**

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Chapter 6

The sun was shining bright through a clear window, making its way into the room. It's shined on Terin's face and she slowly opened her eyes. She rubbed them, and sat up in her bed, facing the windows. The thin drapes were moving from the air blowing in through the open window.

'Good thing it's a Saturday. But I think I'll get up from bed anyway.' She pulled back her covers and made her way to the windows. She leaned against the edge and let the cool breeze blow into her face while taking a deep breath of the fresh air.

'Such a nice day.' She turned around and made her way to the restroom. When she reached the bed, somehow, Luffy jumped out from the other side of the bed into Terin, knocking the both of them onto her bed.

"Ohayou!" he yelled while smiling at his shocked friend. He didn't even realise he was on top of her. Terin was blushing, but quickly regained composure.

"Luffy! What the hell are you doing in my room?" she exclaimed after pushing him off of her. He looked back, and blushed a little after seeing she was still in her sleeping clothes. Just as Luffy was about to answer, the door opened.

"Ohayou!" he greeted. "Oh. I see I'm inturrupting something," he added with a giggle. Terin was glaring at him with what he thought was flames in her eyes.

"Sanji… Get out!" she demanded in a threatening voice. He quickly shut the door and rushed off to the kitchen. Terin sighed with clenched fists, and turned back to Luffy. He was looking around her room when she cleared her throat.

"Luffy, can you wait in the kitchen with Sanji while I get cleaned up?" she asked in a kind tone. He looked back, still blushing a bit, and ploped himself right on her bed instead. She sighed, and retreated to her restroom.

When she came back out of the restroom, she found her bed made and Luffy sitting on the edge. She came out in jean capris and a red and white striped t-shirt that came down a little below her hips. He smiled at her, and she went with him to the kitchen.

Sanji was just putting the finishing touches on breakfast when the both of them came in. He took off Terin's apron, hung it up, and took a seat on a stool. Terin took the seat across from him, and Luffy sat in between them, already scarfing away at his food.

"Why are both of you here?" asked Terin after taking a sip of her juice. Sanji wiped his mouth with a napkin first before answering.

"Well, you see…"

_**Flashback Explanation**_

_Sanji turned the cornor to see a confused Luffy looking at the various houses. He ran up to catch him before he knocked on a gate._

"_What are you doing?" he asked while pulling him away. _

"_I was looking for Terin's house. I wanted to ask her something." He answered._

"_I see. Well, she should still be sleeping, but I can take you." He offered. _

"_Really? Thanks!" he exclaimed with a smile and laugh afterwards. The both of them waked together to Terin's house. But Luffy was more like hopping along._

'_This is going to be fun…' thought the blonde haired chef with a mischievous grin on his face._

_**End of Flashback**_

"So I was just helping out a friend!" he exclaimed while putting up both of their dishes. Luffy was already scarfing down his 5th plate. Terin retired to a couch and Luffy finally gave his plate to Sanji so he sould clean it. He jumped on to the couch Terin was sitting on, and sat on the top of it.

'He's like a little kid with boundless energy,' she thought. He lost his balance and fell backwards, but hung upside down on the couch instead. She pushed at his legs and he fell right off onto his shoulders. He shot up with his hood over his head, and pouted.

"That wasn't nice," he whined.

"But it was sure as hell funny," said Sanji while he hung the apron again, chuckling. Luffy turned around and stuck his tounge out at him. He rolled his eyes and sat on a lounge chair. Terin thought for a second and turned to Luffy.

"You wanted to ask me something, right? That's why you came over?" she asked. Luffy clambered back onto the top of the couch and nodded vigerously. She waited a minute, and gestured for him to ask her. He blushed a little, held his hand to his bottom lip, and looked away from her.

"Uhh.. would you… umm… like.. to.. uh…" he stuttered. Terin was very amused at his shyness, and just had to smile very lightly. Sanji noticed her smile, and had to chuckle to himself.

'I'm glad, but a bit worried as well,' he thought. Luffy was still blushing, but he was looking at her now. She was still smiling which kind of caught Luffy off guard, but made it easier to talk to her.

"Would you like to come with me for some coffee?" he finally said. Terin was still smiling, it seemed like she couldn't stop. She looked up, pretending to think about it, and turned back to him.

"Yes. I would love to," she said while swiping her finger across his nose in a playful manner. She got up, and retreated to her room to get her shoes. Luffy sat on the couch with his hand on his nose, and grinned. Then he remembered something and turned to Sanji.

"You wanna come Sanji?" he asked cheerfully. Sanji laughed and shook his head.

"I can't. I have to work at the resturant today, but I get off early. Maybe I'll meet up with you guys later in the afternoon." He replied. Luffy looked blank, grinned and nodded in understanding. Terin came out wearing a different shirt, one that came down to where her belly botton was, a medium sized vest, and the same capris. Her hair was tied back, and she was wearing tennis shoes.

After she grabbed her key, the three of them left the house and Sanji locked the door. They waved a good-bye, and parted ways. Sanji watched them walk down the street talking to each other. He chuckled and thought to himself on his way to pick up his work attire.

'Have fun on your date!'

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**I guess this was ok. I think i could've done a better job, but i didn't want you guys to be kept waiting too long. Sorry if it's not as good as the other chapters. Reviews are appreciated, and if there's any problems, let me know. Well, see you next chapter! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, I'm finally back. I thank everyone who reviewed this story, and i apologize for the lateness of the chapters. With all the work i have to do, i think i might only be able to update once or twice a week. This chapter's kinda random, but enjoy anyway. **

**Disclaimer: Blah, Blah, Blah... In other chapters. **

**" " - Dialogue**

**' ' - Thoughts**

**OoOoOoO - Scene Change. **

**_Flashback_**

------------------------------------

Chapter 7

Terin followed Luffy past the crowds in the city. She hated crowds, but she had no choice at this point but to follow him. They snaked their way around them, and finally stopped at a outdoors café. He led her to a table with an umbrella, and left to order the drinks inside.

'I don't know what possesed me to come with him," she thought as she enjoyed the morning view of a nearby park. Then her eyes came across a shadowy figure. He was standing under a tree, wearing a cloak. She scrunched her eye brows in confusion. She had a weird feeling when she was looking him.

'What is this feeling?' she thought. He lifted his head and she saw his eyes. They were black as if they were empty. Her own eyes widened and her heart raced. She felt a sudden bolt of fear, and started sweating.

"What's wrong with me? I don't even know this person," she whispered to herself. He had a deathly smirk on his face that sent a chill down her spine. Suddenly, a car drove by and he dissapeared. She panted from relief and calmed herself down.

'Who was that person?' she questioned herself. Her left hand was on her chest where her heart would be, and the other was on her throat.

"Terin?" asked Luffy. She regained poise and looked up at him. He was holding two cups of coffee and handed one to her. He took a seat and looked troubled. She smiled lightly again, trying to reassure him that she was fine. But they both knew it was a lie.

"What happened?" he asked. She looked down at the coffee to see her reflection before she answered.

"It…" she began. Her mind wasn't sure if she should tell him what she felt, or just lie. She was too scared to be able to think clearly.

"It was nothing. A bird flew towards my face and kind of startled me," she finally answered. She took a sip of her coffee as Luffy grinned at her. He knew that wasn't true, but he didn't want to bother her about it.

"So… do you like it?" he asked shyly. She placed her coffee on the saucer and nodded at him. He smiled and took a sip himself. Then from out of the crowds, came a red haired man, and a black haired man with freckles. The red haired man tapped Luffy on the shoulder, and he turned around.

"Shanks! Ace!" cried Luffy as he got up to hug the two men. They had a laugh about something Terin didn't hear. She sat there quietly sipping her coffee as the three men spoke to each other. Luffy remembered Terin and turned around.

"Shanks. Ace. This is my friend Terin," he introduced with a wide grin.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she politely said after standing up and bowing. The two men bowed back and shook hands with her.

"I'm Ace, Luffy's brother. This is Shanks, Luffy's mentor." Shanks did a small salute with his right hand. Terin immediately noticed he didn't have a left arm. She tried not to make it obvious, but Shanks was very clever.

"I lost it in a gun fight," he casually said, as if he'd been through this many times. Terin looked puzzled at first, but lightly smiled afterwards. Luffy was grinning, glad that she was getting along with the two men.

"Wanna have some coffee?" asked Luffy in usual cheerful manner. Both men nodded in a agreement and joined the two high school students. After getting to know one another a little better, all four of them went across the street to the nearby park.

"It's looks so nice in the morning," remarked Ace. They all walked around the park until they came across a fountain and decided to have a seat. Terin watched the water flow intently, deep in thought. Luffy was bored and looked along the ground. His eyes widened in curiousity as he picked up a penny which was heads side up.

"Hey! I found a penny with the head's side up! That means it's lucky right?" he asked. Shanks laughed as Ace, also laughing, nodded at his younger brother. Terin turned around to a smiling Luffy right in front of her.

"Here. Make a wish," he offered while putting the penny into her hands. His hand accidentally touched her's and he pulled it away, blushing. Ace laughed and patted his brother on the back. Terin looked at the old penny in her hands, puzzled.

"A wish?" she asked without looking at him. Luffy looked up at her from the noogie Ace was giving him.

"Yeah! You make a wish, toss the penny into the fountain, and your wish will come true. But you can't tell anybody the wish though." he explained. She looked at him and back at the penny. She held it in her hands as if she was praying, made a wish and tossed the penny into the rushing water.

Suddenly, a young girl fell in front of them, crying. Terin turned around and saw her being laughed at by a young boy. She held her hurt knee close as the boy continued to laugh. Terin, with glaring eyes, walked towards the boy.

"Get lost," she told the boy. He backed away, and then ran off calling for his mom. She turned around to the sniffling girl, and bent down to her level. After looking at the bleeding knee, she looked at the girl.

"Are you ok?" she asked in a kind voice. The little girl nodded, and Terin asked her where her mother was.

"I'll be right back," she told the three guys as she left with the little girl. Luffy watched with a sense of awe on his face.

'I didn't think she'd be so… kind,' he thought, then having an after-thought about how mean that kind of sounded. But then his face softened to a kind look as Ace looked over at his brother.

"You're lucky to have a girlfriend like her," he remarked, smiling widely. Luffy abruptly turned around, almost falling into the fountain. Flustered, he looked annoyed at his big brother.

"She is not! She's just a friend!" he cried. Ace raised an eyebrow to his statement, and then smiled mischeviously. Terin returned to the group and Ace stood up. She blinked at him, and he held her chin in his hand. He bent down close to her face and kissed her on the cheek.

Luffy yelled from shock and fell into the fountain wide eyed, leaving Shanks bursting into laughter. Ace smiled at the flushed Terin, and rubbed her white hair. Luffy shot up from the water, and onto the pavement. The two brother's started bickering as Shanks laughed and Terin stood there watching. She couldn't help, but smile.

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**There's probably tons of things wrong with this story, and feel free to tell me. I might revise it if I can. See you next chapter... and there might be another story on it's way. If you read my other story too, that one's on hold for right now.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm finally back with a chapter... unfortunatly it might be A LONG time before i can update again. I'm sorry. This one's pretty much random too, but it still goes along with what happened previously. I appreciate everyone's reviews and i'll try to update earlier next time. **

**Disclaimer: In Other Chapters. **

**" " - Dialogue**

**' ' - Thuoghts**

**_Flashback_**

**OoOoOoOoO - Scene Change**

------------------------

Chapter 8

They stayed in the park for quite a while. By the time they left, it was lunch time. Both Ace's and Luffy's stomach growled loud enough for everyone to hear. Shanks chuckled, and patted both of them on the back.

"They're brothers alright!" he remarked. They both laughed and Terin smiled.

"How about we go to the resturant that Sanji works at, Luffy?" suggested Terin. Luffy grinned, and nodded vigerously. She smiled and led the 3 of them to the resturant. It wasn't that far away either. After a few minutes, they reached a resturant, The Baratie.

They all went into the 4 star resturant, and was greeted by Sanji. They exchanged greetings and introductions, and then he seated all four of them.

"How about the lunch special for all of us?" asked Terin. They all agreed and Sanji left for the kitchen. Zeff came out and greeted Terin.

"Why, I haven't seen you in so long, Terin! Still a pipsqueak I see!" said the old man as he patted her head. "Oh! Who are these guest of yours?"

"This is Luffy. I'm sure Sanji's told you about him. This is Ace, Luffy's older brother, and Shanks, his mentor," she replied. Luffy beamed as Ace and Shanks held up their hands in a friendly gesture.

"It's very nice to meet you all. You guys can have this meal on the house!" he announced. Shanks thanked him as Sanji came out with the dishes. The three men looked at the amazing food in awe as Zeff and Sanji joined them at the table.

"Itadakimasu!" they all said in unison. Ace and Luffy had an eating race to see who could finish the fastest. Shanks was savoring the delicious flavor, and Terin was enjoying the food like she always did.

"Goichizo-sama," said Terin, who finished first. Ace and Luffy eventually started eating slowly because the food was just too good. The other three finished and Sanji collected their plates. Shanks was getting acquainted with Zeff while Luffy and Ace spoke with Terin.

"So, have you been treating my little brother with care?" asked Ace playfully. Luffy got angry and knocked him in the head while Terin smiled. Sanji came back out in his regular clothes, and leaned on the table. He noticed a small crumb near Terin's mouth.

"You got a little something there," he said, getting extreamly close to her face and wiping it off with his thumb. She blushed a little, and Luffy flew back on his chair.

'Is everyone out to get me?' he thought to himself. Everyone burst into laughing as Luffy stayed laying on the ground, his feet dangling from the chair. Just then, Usopp and Robin walked into the resturant.

"Oi! Sanji, Terin!" he called out. Robin waved a hello at them as Sanji came running over to her. Luffy got up, and so did Terin, to go join their friends. Usopp high fived Luffy as he came over.

"What are you doing here Luffy?" he asked. He blushed a little, but shook it out of him.

"I came with Terin, my brother, and mentor for lunch!" he answered cheerfully. Usopp looked past him and saw the two men waving at them.  
After introductions, everyone left the resturant.

"Well, we'll be going now. You youngsters have fun now," said Shanks as he left with Ace. Luffy jumped up, and waved good-bye to them. He turned back to the group as they began walking down the street.

"So, now that we're all here, what should we do?" asked Sanji as Luffy ran to catch up. Everyone thought for a moment when Luffy finally caught up to them.

"How about shopping?" suggested Robin. Everyone nodded in agreement, even Terin.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

They all entered the large shopping complex to see it full of crowds. Usopp, Terin, and Luffy headed for the clothes section as Sanji and Robin wandered somewhere else. Terin and Usopp were skimming the clothes as Luffy looked at the passing crowds.

"Ahh! Get away from me!" someone screamed. He turned his head in the diretion and saw Nami being grabbed by a couple of guys. Luffy bunched his eyebrows in anger, and ran over towards them.

"Come on, now. Don't be scared," slurred the obviously drunk man. Nami struggled as hard as she could. He was close to kissing her when Luffy's fist met his face instead. He fell back screaming and looked up to see him standing in front of Nami.

"What do you want, punk?" yelled the other drunk man. Luffy cracked his knucles and threw another punch at the man's torso.

"You guys are drunk. Now get lost before I beat the shit out of you," he demanded. The men cowered and then ran off, yelling something about revenge. Luffy turned around to see a panting Nami as Terin and Usopp ran over to them.

"What happened?" asked Usopp. Terin looked at Nami, seeing her terrified face. She bent down and asked her what happened. Nami looked up and hugged Terin.

"These two guys," she gasped. "They were grabbing me and trying to kiss me." Terin caressed her head, and pulled her away.

"Well, you're safe now," she assured her. She helped her up and dusted off her own clothes. Nami turned to Luffy and hugged him.

"Thank you," she said. He smiled and gently pulled her off of him.

"It was nothing," he modestly said. She smiled back at him, and the four of them left in search of Sanji and Robin. Terin spoke with Usopp about something as Nami walked with Luffy.

"Why did you help me even though I did that mean thing to you at school?" she asked without looking at him. Luffy looked back at her confused and laughed.

"That's in the past. Besides, I couldn't just leave you like that. What kind of person would I be if I did?" he asked her, grinning. She felt shock, but relized that he was right.

"Oi!" yelled Sanji as he waved his hand in the air. They met up, and hearts flew when he saw Nami. He dashed over, and grabbed her hands again.

"Oh how you make my day brighter. You've been too generous to me, a lonely, lost cook in this world. I'm not worthy to be in the presence of your emense beauty," he swooned. Terin looked over at him with a popping vein, and threw a thick book Robin bought at his face.

"Quit acting like an idiot," she muttered. Nami was flushed, and ran over to help him. She held him in her arms and the two were locked on each other's eyes. They forgot the outside world and stayed frozen that way.

"Is it me, or are those guys really weird?" asked Luffy. The rest of them shrugged not knowing the answer, and decided to leave them. When they were almost out of the shopping complex, the two of them caught up. Sanji had a large lump on his head and Nami was looking cross. Apparently, Sanji tried to kiss her.

"I told you to stop acting like an idiot," she noted. He glared at her and proceded out the entrance with Nami. They were all out in the fresh air and everyone decided to go and rest at Terin's house.

"Why my house?" she asked, annoyed. Sanji, and Usopp smiled at her as she stared blakly at them.

"That's 'cause your house is the biggest!" they yelled in unison. She knocked them both on the head and the rest made their way to her house. Luffy hopped in front of the group with his big grin, and walked backwards smiling at them.

'A wish. What a silly thing to even think about believing.'

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**Well, now Nami's joined in on the fun. Terin's more open now. Yay! There's not much for me to say. If there's something weird in there, please let me know because my spell check doesn't work at the moment... Reviews are appreciated, and have fun waiting again! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay! This line seperator thingie works now! Sorry. That was random. Anyways... I'm sorry for not uploading in forever. School's really taken a lot of my brain power away. It's not that i don't have time anymore, my story isn't sounding good in the drafting stage at the moment. I finally found some time to concentrate on things to bring you chapter 9. I hope it makes you happy. :) I'll try to update sooner each time now. On with the story! Disclaimer in other chapters. **

**" " - Dialouge**

**' ' - Thoughts**

**_Flashback_**

**OoOoOoOoO - Scene Change**

* * *

Chapter 9

The shadowy figure appeared from the darkness in front of a castle. He moved up to the gate and it opened just enough to get him inside. They closed and the darkness was left behind. The dark figure slinked across the stone pavement into a maze of hallways. The only thing lighting his way was a couple of torches every few feet.

'Damn that man and his complicated castle. I can't even remember how many times I've been lost and ended up in those damned torture rooms,' he thought. He took another turn and began his decent up a flight of stairs. They wined up higher, and higher, making the man dizzy after a while.

After reaching the top level, he sat against the wall breathing rather heavily. A door opened and he was up on his feet, staggering a little. He walked into the room and shielded his eyes from the brightness. The windows were open and all the torches were lit.

"What is it, Seirou?" asked a calm voice from behind a chair. The shadowed figure pulled the hood of his cloak back showing his white spiked hair. His black eyes narrowed and he leaned against the doorway.

"Well, I found her… and it's really her this time," he answered, pulling back his bangs. The chair swung around to show a teenage looking boy. His black and red hair was brushed back with small bangs hanging in front of his forehead. He picked up a glass ball on his desk and waved a hand over it.

"Yes… it is her. I'm surprised it was actually 10 years ago when that… incident happened," he said. He spoke with a calm tone as if he had no care in the world. He waved his friend over to the desk as he reached into one of the desk drawers. He pulled out a mirror and placed it in front of him.

"What is that?" asked Seirou. The boy sitting in the chair rolled his eyes and bit his finger, making it bleed a little. He placed it onto the rim of the mirror and looked up at his friend.

"Mark you blood onto the handle of it," he demanded. His friend did as told and the mirror began glowing. The reflection was of Terin smiling with her friends. Seirou looked at the picture and couldn't help, but smirk.

"This isn't going as I hoped," said the red and black haired boy. He pulled his hand back, his friend did the same, but the picture remained on the mirror.

"Why is that, Arui?" asked the white haired boy as he leaned on the desk. Auri leaned back into his chair and rested his chin on his hands. He closed his eyes, and sighed.

"Her heart is slowly returning. The prophecy won't go as plan if that _boy _continues being around her," he grunted. "I can't believe we're related to that failure." Seirou looked pitifully at his brother, then back at the mirror.

"It's not her fault she was meant for the prophecy," he tried reasoning. His brother opened his eyes and the pupils narrowed. He stood up and looked out the window. It was a small town and there were people about, but Auri looked disgusted.

"This pitiful land… There's nothing I can do all because of her!" he yelled. He punched the stone wall and sighed again. Seirou reached a hand out to his brother, but he shruged it off. "That's why this prophecy _must _be fulfilled."

'Why did mother and father leave the rule to us at such an early age? Auri's already gone insane because of that foolish prophecy.' Seirou thought. Auri turned abruptly and stared at Seirou.

"Don't even think about mother and father. Go back and try to remind her of her place in this world. Don't mess it up,"he ordered. Seirou did as his brother said and left him to his rants.

'I'm sorry, Terin.'

* * *

**Weeeeeeeeeeeeeell... this story took a turn i didn't really expect, but i love anyway. What I mean by that is that i sometimes I write the first things that come to my head. I'm a fantasy freak, so i decided to make the story take a turn that way. I really dislike all the problems, and limits of reality so I 3 Fantasy. I'm sorry if you don't like this stuff... but please review. I also apologize for the shortness of this chapter. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Gah.. so happy it's fall break.. But i still have hw to do.. Anyway, now we're back in the "real world" of our story and this is what's going on! I don't know what was going through my mind, but i found it to be kinda funny. I have the feeling this story will be a long one... but i'm not too sure. Yes I know... I'm weird. Enough of my ramblings. On with the show!**

* * *

Chapter 10

The night air was quiet except for the low hum of the street lights. Stars in the sky shone bright like hundreds of fireflies. The lonesome moon glowed its pale color alongside the stars. Every house was dark and quiet except for one. The bell chimed 11:00 pm while the company talked and laughed.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Usopp. "It's already 11? I better head home now." He got up from his spot under the blanket of the kotatsu, and headed for the door. Robin was about to get up when Sanji held her hand and called out to Usopp.

"Why go home now? Why not have a sleepover here?" exclaimed Sanji. "That's right! How about we have a sleep over right here in Terin's house? In honor of Luffy and sweet Nami-san joining our group of friends!" Everyone cheered in agreement except for Luffy and Terin. She was sipping some tea while Luffy sat blushing a little bit.

"Well, how about it Terin?" asked Sanji, pushing his face near hers. Her eyes closed, she placed the cup back on the table and stood up from it. She clenched her hands into fist and threw a punch at Sanji's face.

"Don't go making propositions on your own!" she yelled. Sanji flew quite a ways down the hall until he hit a door. He laid there, twitching as the rest of them stared down the hallway.

"We don't have to do this. We'll all go if you'd like," said Luffy with a smile. Terin glanced at him with kinder eyes. She sighed and ran a hand through her white hair.

"Oh, alright. Since everyone wants to do so anyway," she finally said. Everyone cheered once again, even the battered Sanji. Terin sighed again tilting her head slightly. She had a small smile across her face, small but big enough for Robin to notice. Luffy threw his arms in the air, and wrapped them around her. She fell from the grab and onto her hands, Luffy resting himself on her.

"Thanks Terin! This is gonna be loads of fun!" he yelled. Terin sat there, blushing so many colors of red that it looked like her hair wanted to turn pink. Slowly, but surely, she lifted her arms and lightly wrapped them around him too. Robin smiled, resting her head in her hand.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Hah! I win, for sure this time too!" belched Luffy who just won his third soda drinking contest. Sanji was laying on the table, moaning from the intake of soda he had. Luffy was still able to sit up on his chair, ready for another round. Nami and Robin were having a pleasant conversation while Usopp calculated how much soda must've been consumed. Terin sat on a chair, observing everything that was happening.

'What in the world possessed me to allow this?' she thought. It was 2 in the morning now, everyone still wide awake. Luffy turned around on his chair and noticed the quiet Terin alone, separate from everyone else. He got up and stumbled his way to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked looking up at her. He fell on his back trying to get over to the chair. Terin shook her head, the white strands flying in every which way. Sanji, back from his painful state, walked over to their little group with an empty bottle in his hand. He sat down with a groan and leaned against a wall.

"If your going to throw up, please get a bucket," she insisted. Sanji just glared at her with his visible eye and belched. Terin pulled her legs up on the chair, and rested her chin on her knees. Luffy, still lying on the floor, scrunched his eyebrows.

"What can we play that Terin can play too?" he asked out loud. It was quiet for a while except for the burping of the two men full of soda. Nami held a finger to her chin in thought and suddenly thought of something.

"How about spin-the-bottle?" suggested Nami, a bit eager to play as well. She was practically hopping in excitement to play it. Luffy sat up from his spot and looked at her. He tilted his head, an obvious sign he didn't understand something. Nami sighed, shrugging her shoulders for no apparent reason.

"That game? Of all things, why that?" commented Terin, still on her chair. Luffy turned her head on the spot and smiled at her. She just blinked at him, almost falling asleep.

"If you're still wondering, spin-the-bottle is when you spin a bottle and whoever it points to in the end you have to kiss," she explained. Luffy pouted and turned back to Nami.

"You wanted us to play THAT?" he said a bit disgusted. Robin and Sanji chuckled at his question. Nami, arms crossed, answered, "Come on! Let's play! It'll be fun." He thought doubtfully, but slowly nodded his head.

They all gathered around in a circle and placed the bottle in the middle. Terin stayed in her chair, so they left a space where she would've sat so the bottle could still point at her. Sanji decided to go first and gave the bottle a spin. The glass clinked and grinded against the wood floor as it span, holding the fate of Sanji's kisser. Then, the bottle stopped.

'Oh this isn't going to be good.'

'How the hell did this happen!'

'Now I see why Terin doesn't like this game.'

'God help me now.'

'This is going to be good. Where's a camera?'

'What a chance of bad luck.'

* * *

**HAHA! They end up playing spin-the-bottle! I bet you can't figure out some of the thoughts at the end... have fun doing that while you wait for my next update! I'm sorry for my short chapters lately... but please still review.  
**

**I just want to say I'm sorry for my late updates on everything. I'm just so busy with stuff to do. I'm also working on other stories I plan on releasing soon (Sounds like i'm making a movie.. lol) so there's more to come from me! I'll try to find more time to update more often, but good thing it's fall break! Until next time! À Bientôt!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's chapter 11 for your enjoyment! This was fun, but I had some doubt whether or not to make it this short. But it'll follow through with the story. My, my how my chapters are getting shorter and shorter. I'll have to make the next one pretty long, so i hope you look forward to it. There is one more thing i'd like to address, but i'll ask you guys about that at the end of the chapter. **

**" " - Dialouge**

**' ' - Thoughts**

**OoOoOoOoOoO - Scene Change**

* * *

Chapter 11

Sanji sat still as sweat poured down his temples. Nami had gotten up to search Terin's house for a camera to capture this momentous event. Robin was quietly giggling to herself, thinking what would happen next. Usopp was rolling on the floor, laughing his head off, banging his fist against the floor as well. Luffy sat still as well, fidgeting with his fingers to get his mind off of things. Terin sat slumped as though she loss her soul. The glass bottle on the floor… pointed to Luffy.

"No way! No way in hell I'm kissing Luffy!" he shouted as he stood up from his spot. Luffy sat where he was, blushing a pinkish color. Terin regained her composure and straightened herself out. She got up from her chair and approached the circle.

"Now do you understand why I don't particularly enjoy this kind of game, Luffy?" she asked him, placing a hand on his shoulders. He nodded, still fidgeting with his fingers. Sanji, being the cunning fox that he always is, smiled at this playful opportunity and ran towards Luffy. He grabbed his shoulders, and forced his lips onto his.

They company sat there staring just as Nami came into the room, bringing a digital camera with her. She was stunned for a moment, but quickly turned it on. Terin clenched a fist and threw a punch just before Nami took the picture. Sanji flew, hit the edge of the couch and flipped backwards onto it. Nami looked disappointingly at the picture of Sanji getting punched and deleted it.

"Hey now, no need for that. I was just getting into the spirit of the game," he playfully remarked, rubbing his sore cheek. Terin stomped over to him and grabbed his shirt.

"You know what you were thinking, and you're lucky too. Nami would've posted that picture on anywhere on the internet and THEN we would've seen if you were in the spirit of the game or not," she pointed out in a dark tone. Sanji gulped as she let go of his shirt collar. She stretched and glanced at the severely red Luffy.

"W-What just h-happened?" he stuttered. Terin patted him on the shoulder and answered, "You've just undergone the most traumatizing experience of your life." He just fell backwards and looked up at her face. She blushed a bit and he did too, if that was possible. "I don't know about you guys but I'm heading to bed." She walked down the hallway and before she opened the door, Sanji's voice called out.

"What about sleeping arrangements? You only have 3 rooms including yours." She looked back and at every person. She crossed her arms and thought intently about how to deal with this problem.

"Sanji you can sleep on the floor in the guys room, or out here on the couch. Problem solved." His jaw dropped as she went into her room and shut the door. He sighed, and went to get a blanket and pillow from a cabinet in the hallway. The rest of them retired to their respective area finding extra brushes and towels in the guest rooms. The doors shut as Sanji sat alone in the living room, thinking of something else to do to Terin.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

She stepped out of the steaming shower and wrapped a towel around herself as she looked into the mirror. She studied her face for a while through the fog of the steam. Terin sighed and grabbed another towel and began drying her hair.

'Why did I do that? Luffy's just a friend of mine, it's nothing else I can think of. I like him as a friend, that's about it. Or maybe I… No! I can't think of that… the last time I thought like that it cost someone their life.' She rubbed her head one last time and pulled the towel off. She looked back in the mirror and her eyes widened. The reflection had a teenage looking boy in it. She spun around and saw him.

Seirou.

"My, my how you've grown dear sister. How long has it been since we've met, 12 years?" he stated, sitting on the edge of a tub. Terin stood there in bewilderment as to how this guy, who calls her his sister, came into the room. "Now, don't tell me you've forgotten my face?"

"Who are you? How would I know you? How did you get in here?" she asked, clutching to her towel tighter. He just smiled at her politely and stood up. He was about Terin's height, just a little taller. He had white hair like her which grew to about his shoulders.

"No need to get into trivial things like that right now. I'm only here for a short amount of time so I'll get right to the point." With that, he lifted his hand and jumped towards her. The palm of his hand touched Terin's forehead and her eyes widened. There was a flash of light… then everything went dark.

* * *

**Oooooo... mysterious.. what did he do... ONLY I HOLD HER DESTINY! BWUAHAHAHAH! coughing fit Sorry about that. Got a little carried away. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter cause another one probably won't be coming anytime soon. Just a heads up. Now about the matter i mentioned at the top.**

**I don't know if this means i'm a pitiful writer who can't stay on a certain plot but i don't think the title fits very well to this story any longer. So, since you guys are my devoted readers, i'd like to know... 2 things:**

**Do you like where this story's headed?**

**Do you sense a theme in this story?**

**If you would _PRIVATE MESSAGE_ with your answers to these questions, that would help a lot. You can review normally, but just private message me with those answers. If you do not have a fanfiction account, just e-mail me. If you have complications doing so, just tell me in your review. Your contrabution will benefit this story. Thank you. **


	12. Chapter 12

**I have returned from the Unknown! Did you miss me? Anyway, I bring you chapter 12 of this story of which I call my own. There's not much to say for the time being, except that you'll have time to wait some more for the next chapter for I am quite busy for the rest of the month. Also, any spelling/grammar errors you see... please tell me. Well... have fun now! **

* * *

Chapter 12

Blood. Everywhere. The smell of it filled Terin's nostrils. She looked around; she saw the crimsom water splattered in every direction. Looking down at herself, it was all over her hands and body. She lifted the sheets and slowly staggered out of her room, shaken by the sight of everything. She caught her breath.

"Sanji…" she whispered in her soft voice. He lay there, along with Nami, on the couch. A large gash was on his back while Nami had coughed up a considerable amount of blood. Turning her head, she saw Robin and Usopp knocked against the wall. The blood dripped down from a spot on the wall just above their heads. She held her hand to her mouth, closing her eyes to try and figure out what had happened. Suddenly, they shot back open.

Luffy.

She ran across the room and into his. After practically slamming into the door, she looked around. The bed was soaked the dark red liquid that already haunted her. She stepped closer to the bed, her entire body shivering. She reached a hand down to lift the blanket, but stopped hesitantly. Her hand quivered mid-air, just a hand's width away from the horrible image of what could be Luffy. Then, another hand slid across her neck and held it tight.

Terin shot up from the bed and her eyes opened. She gasped, followed by quick breaths and panting. Perspiration cover her head, and her hand clutched the blanket. Her eyes darted frantically around the dim room, everything blurry to her. But she could see no signs of blood anywhere nor on herself. Blowing a sigh of relief, she released her hold on the blanket and glanced at the clock. It was only 4 am.

'It was just a dream… just a dream,' she thought to herself. She ran a hand through her hair and stared out into the dimness of her room. Then she remembered the white haired boy. After her eyes focused, she got up and stumbled into the bathroom. There was no sign of him or that he was even there. But he was; she knew it. Leaving that matter to be dealt with tomorrow, she crawled back into bed and closed her eyes. She was already troubled enough. Quickly, she fell asleep just as her room door opened.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!" Terin's voice rang throughout the entire house, waking up every person soundly dozing. Sanji, a bit shocked from the sound, fell off the couch and rubbed his head.

'Didn't expect this…' he thought, getting up and folding his blanket together. Luffy dazedly walked into the living room while rubbing his eyes, yawning. Usopp followed him but just fell right back asleep, crashing into the floor. Robin and Nami, fully dressed, came out yawning and tired as well.

"What was that?" asked Nami in mid-yawn. Luffy looked down the hall worryingly, and took a seat at the table. Sanji jumped over to admire the girls who had just woken up, but still looked as beautiful as a field of flowers in the Spring time. His imagination was inturrupted by the stomping of Terin's feet. They all stared at her as she stood there arms crossed and tapping one foot.

"Why the hell did you cut my hair this short… SANJI?!" she asked, nearly knocking him over again. He held a hand to his heart and looked hurt. He stood up from the couch, trying to looked dignified, and walked around it to help Usopp.

"Why do you immediately come to me first when something bad happens to you?" he asked after waking up the sleepy curly haired boy. She merely glared at him, and suddenly thought of the nightmare she had. She ran a hand again through her now short hair, about as short as Luffy's if not shorter, and proceeded to the kitchen. Sanji looked confusingly at her then joined Luffy at the table, who was avoiding eye contact with Terin.

"See? I told you it'd work," whispered Usopp, who was now fully awake and sitting with them. Sanji nodded in an agreeing manner and nudged Luffy to make a remark.

"But I still feel bad about it. I think she looked better with long hair," he said, slumping his shoulders. "Why'd I have to do it anyway?" Sanji rested a hand on his shoulder and answered, "'Cause you and Robin are the only one's she won't hurt. And since we couldn't ask Robin, we asked you!" Luffy pouted and looked out the window.

Robin and Nami took their seat as Terin was half way done with breakfast. They listened to the incessant whispering of the group of men, and both found out the little secret they had.

"Don't worry about it Luffy. She wanted to get a haircut sooner or later," Usopp reasoned. "So you were doing her a favor!" Luffy brightened at the sound of this explanation, and sat readily for the food. Sanji gave a high-five for Usopp's lie.

"Well, here we are." Terin set the food on the table, put up her apron, and joined the rest of them.

"Itadakimasu!" they all said in unison. Luffy grabbed a helpful for himself and began chowing down on it before anyone could even take a bite. Mouth full, he tried saying something to Terin, who still hadn't taken a bite yet. He swallowed and finally asked, "What do you think of my haircut for you?" Terin lifted her head.

"'My haircut for you'? What are you talking about? Are you saying YOU did this to me?" she asked. Luffy nodded vigorously as Sanji and Usopp shot nervous glances at each other. Terin got up and walked around to stand behind Luffy. He took another gulp of food and continued his story, "Sanji and Usopp said you needed one, so I helped you out." Terin nodded her head VERY slowly.

Almost expectantly, Nami dropped her fork and asked Luffy to get it for her. Usopp had offered and began sliding down, but he was held by Terin's grip on the collar of his shirt. Grabbing onto Sanji's shirt with the other hand, she threw them head first towards each other. By the time Luffy got back up, Terin was putting up Nami and Robin's plate.

"Huh? What's up with those two?" Nami broke into laughter, and Robin joined her, more controlled of course. Terin sighed, and went to the backyard door. She closed it with a light slam, quieting the table. Luffy looked through the window, catching a glimpse of her sitting down on a swinging bench.

"I think something's bothering her," he commented out loud.

"You think so?" added Nami. Luffy just nodded at her, oblivious to the sarcasm. She merely rolled her eyes. He got up, the others watching, and went outside as well. When he opened the door, Terin didn't even lift her head. She was looking down at her hands, one cradling the other. He silently closed the door, and walked over to her. Without asking, he ploped himself down and looked at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a serious face. Terin looked up and nearly got out of her bad mood just from looking at him. She sighed, and shook her head. Luffy pouted and got up to stand in front of her. His brow was scrunched and his pout was more definite. There was no way out of this one.

"I… just had a bad dream last night," she answered trying to look away. His brows relaxed and so did his pout. He smiled brightly and she glanced at him. Her eyes started to water just by the happy look on his face. She started wiping away the tears when he grabbed the other hand involuntarily.

"Don't worry," he calmly assured. "I'll be here!" he added daintily. Her eyes watered even more as she tried not crying. He let go of her hand, blushing and smiled at her. She smiled back when suddenly a crash was heard from behind Luffy. They looked curiously to what it was; Luffy started holding back laughter as Terin stared in her usual blank expression.

* * *

**I want to know how many of you caught their breathe during those beginning paragraphs... :3 Sooooo, their relationship (Terin and Luffy) have grown some more during that time. Sanji and Usopp are veeeeery mischevious now aren't they... I wonder what it was that made that crash from behind Luffy after their talk... wait until next time, my beloved readers! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Nya! I'm baaaack! I hope you've been enjoying the story so far. This chapter is a. . . Zoro chapter, kinda sorta. Well, you'll find out for yourself so go ahead and enjoy reading it!**

**Zoro: Straw-hat-Writer does not. . . snore **

**Me: Oi! Damn it, wake up! **

**Luffy: Straw-hat-Writer does not own One Piece in any way! Niku!**

**Me: Here. hands a slab of meat**

**Luffy: Niku... ♥♥**

* * *

Chapter 13

"What the hell are you doing here?" grunted a certain green haired bully. He stood up from the garbage cans he knocked over and dusted himself off. Luffy ran down to help him, but was shoved away. Terin walked down to join the two men as the backyard door opened.

"That's what I should be asking you. It's 10 am and your in my backyard knocking over my trash cans," she remarked, ignoring his annoyed sneer. Sanji burst out laughing as he saw the sight of Zoro covered in trash.

"What are you laughing at, Curly Brow?" he exclaimed, shifting his left hand to his three swords. Sanji stopped laughing and got into a fighting stance. Robin placed a hand on Sanji's shoulder to calm him down as Terin landed a short and soft blow to Zoro's forehead, sending him staggering backwards and tripping back over the trash can. Luffy, joined by Sanji and Usopp, loudly laughed again as the swordsman tried to get back up. Terin slapped a hand against her forehead and sighed. She grabbed him by the shirt, and pulled him back up.

"Listen up," she began. "We both know I want you out of my sight, but I don't want you causing more trouble by getting lost again." Zoro snorted and lightly slapped away the gripping hand.

"I DIDN'T get lost,"he snapped. Terin, annoyed, sighed and told him to walk three houses north from her house. Trying to prove her wrong, Zoro began walking down the alley, turned a left, and yelled out after tripping over another trash can, making the boys laugh ever harder.

"Why do people say north? Just say up, down, left, or right!," he exclaimed after making it back to her house.

"We're going back in to get ready, and ALL of us are going to take you back to the dojo," she proclaimed. Zoro waited impatiently as the rest got ready for their visit to the dojo.

"Let's go!" yelled Luffy, taking the lead for no apparent reason. Terin, hiding her smile, followed after him with the rest of the company, also trying to keep Sanji from starting another fight.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Here we are," declared Terin. They looked around, seeing several other people, mostly children, training with Shinai. Then, from around the corner came a girl with short, blue hair. She carried a white sword and came out smiling at Zoro.

"Hello Zoro. I see you've brought friends with you," said the blue haired girl. Zoro smiled, which the group found to be very odd, and went to train elsewhere. Terin shook her head and sighed again.

"Everyone, this is Kuina. She's an old friend of Zoro. She used to go to elementary school with me, but soon began home schooling so she could practice swords as well." She bowed at the visitors and left after Zoro.

"Zoro has a friend that's a girl?" asked Luffy, obviously confused. Terin chuckled and nodded. With a motion, the company began their walk back to her house when Luffy caught notice of something. He raced towards it and peered at the big, colorful text.

"What's this?" he asked, pointing a finger at the flyer he had found. Terin and the rest glanced at it and took no interest. Robin gladly answered this one for Terin.

"This is the yearly Fireworks Festival held not too far from here. Everyone wears a kimono, and attends the festival. There's games, food, and prizes to be won." Luffy's eye sparkled at the sound of "food". He raced over to Terin and tugged at her shoulder.

"Can we go to this? Please?" he pleaded.

"It's not till Golden Week, so we'll think about it then." He pouted and let go of her. All of a sudden, a sound of metal clashing was heard. The group ran past the dojo and into the training area to see Kuina sparring with some stranger. There were also three other men with swords.

"What's going on here?" exclaimed Nami. The three men turned around and smirked at her. Sanji turned his head to Zoro, who had all three swords sheathed. He sneered at him, but Zoro let it slide. Usopp stood shaking behind Luffy, who had both hands into fists.

"Care to explain what is going on?" asked Terin, arms crossed. He tilted his head back and blinked once or twice before he answered.

"That guy… challenged her for the dojo while we were training. She denied, but he went ahead and attacked." Luffy, red faced and fists clenched, began charging towards the group, but was stopped short by Terin.

"What are you stopping me for? This is unfair!" he exclaimed, almost glaring at Terin. She returned the glance, her icy look silencing him. She lowered her hand, and he stood still.

"This is a fight of a swordswoman. Having some else be invovled in it would be dishonorable. If this man wants a fight, then Kuina will give it to him herself." He gazed at the sparring two for a moment and gave a short nod. The two jumped back, and charged once again. Kuina went into a series of swings, the man barely being able to block. His hand slipped, and the sword went airborne, and landed right next to Usopp. The tip of Kuina's sword was at his throat.

"You've had enough?" she asked. But, then the three men standing by charged at her, slashing all at once. She blocked two of them, but the thrid sliced into her shoulder. The original opponent grabbed a sword and jabbed it forward. Kuina dodged it just to be slashed at again by another sword.

Zoro unsheathed two swords and began fighting off the remaining fighters. Sanji, and Luffy also joined in the fray. After a few kicks, punches and slicing, there was a pile of unconcious guys sitting out in the middle of the ground as the rest tended to Kuina. She was in bad shape, barely breathing and unconcious. They were lifting her up to leave, ignoreing a rustling sound in the background.

A guy on the top of the pile looked up from his battered position. His eyes gleamed with revenge. Quickly, he pulled out a dagger and threw it, the point piercing into Kuina's back.

"You bastard!" Zoro yelled, slashing out the dull side of his sword onto his neck. When he turned around, it was too late. Kuina laid limp over Terin's arms, the dagger pulled out and lying on the ground.

"Zoro… I'm sorry," she whispered as he came over. He looked down at his friend who had passed on and a memory had come back to him.

_Flashback A few years back…_

_Zoro yelped loudly as he fell to the ground, sliding across the grass. He was breathing heavily as Kuina stood above him, peering down as she held her sword. _

"_This is… my 2001st win," she whispered. She stood back up, and wiped the sweat off her head. _

"_Damn!" Zoro sobbed covering his eyes with his hands. "Shit. I can't accept this…" He continued his sustained whimpering, gritting his teeth and still laying on the ground as Kuina looked down at him. _

"_I'm the one who wants to cry because I can't accept it. My father told me… girls will never become the best at swords. You'll soon grow to be stronger than me, Zoro." She paused to place a hand on her chest, making Zoro blush. "If only I was born a boy." She began sobbing when he yelled out at her. _

"_How can you say that after beating me? You were my goal the whole time! You make my training look like a waste! It doesn't matter whether you are a girl or boy!" He walked towards her and held out a hand. "Promise me… that one of us will become the greatest at swords!" _

_Teary eyed, she accepted his promise, thanking him afterwards._

_End of Flashback_

He knelt down beside her, and picked her up. He stood for a moment, then dashed out into the surrounding woods, the group yelling out to him. But, all they heard was their echoes and the sound of running feet.

* * *

**I think I made Kuina's death too quick. But i'm not too sure. ****Note: The flashback Zoro has is quoted and described exactly from a scene in episode 19. I paraphrased the dialouge here and there, but the words belong to Eichiro Oda. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Gah... it's been SO busy with me lately... sorry for taking so long for the update. I hope you guys haven't stopped reading it. Anyway, nothing new. Just some aftermath of the previous chapter, and some more random stuffs now. This is basically, a touchup and random chapter, so... sorry if it's weird to you. Btw, spell check still doesn't like to work, so PLEASE point out any grammar/spelling mistakes. Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah.. you know what happens...**

**" " - Dialogue**

**' ' - Thoughts**

**_Flashbacks _**

**OoOoOoO - Scene Change**

* * *

Chapter 14

It was a few weeks after that incident at the dojo. Zoro hadn't showed up at all during the first week, but every now and then during the second. Finally he had begun attending school regularly though now he'd have to stay after to make up the lost time.

Terin, along with Luffy right behind her, walked into the classroom. They were greeted by their friends as they came over. But Luffy's mind was on something else – more specifically _someone _else. Zoro sat with his head slightly bent forward and his hands by his sides. He was always quiet on the days he came to school. Luffy left the group to try and comfort the solomn man.

"Hey Zoro," he said, pulling up a chair to sit. The green haired man said nothing, and continued to stare down at himself.

"What do you want?" he asked, realizing Luffy just would not leave him alone. The black haired boy rested his head on his crossed arms that were on the desk and looked up at Zoro.

"I'm sorry about Kuina, Zoro. I didn't know you were so close to her," he said sympathetically. The green haired man merely blinked, wincing when he saw her image in his eyes. He finally looked up from his position, pulling his hands up to the desk.

"I should've done something. I should've broken that rule to save her," he remarked, his voice barely audiable. Luffy tilted his head, and blinked a couple of times.

"What about the honor of a swordsman? What would she have said if she lived after that?" he asked, knowing he was treading on some dangerous topics. Zoro's eyes widened a bit as he realized that Luffy was right. What _would _Kuina have said, knowing that she had to be saved? He sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"Thanks," he whispered, looking away and making sure no one was listening. Luffy grinned and they continued talking. While with the other group, Terin sat back in her chair, contently listening on the two boys' conversation. She smiled to herself, thinking, 'Luffy… you are a saint in a girls' uniform.'

OoOoOoOoO

The bell rang loudly as it was time to head home once again. The group gathered their things and began heading out. Zoro, unsure of himself at first, decided to join the gang on their walk home after being pardoned by the teacher from today's afterschool lesson. Luffy grinned at him, and hopped over to keep talking some more.

"Wow… Luffy's really gotten attached to Zoro. He sure can change his mind about someone quick," commented Usopp. Terin ignored what he said and remained silent. Nami gave him a good smack in the head as Robin glanced at Terin. Still silent.

"Why'd you have to go and do that?" whined Usopp, rubbing the lump he now had on his head. Nami gestured to the quiet Terin and he understood at once.

"I'm not even that close to her as a friend and _I _know what not to say around her," she whispered. Usopp stuck his tounge out and continued along the way. Robin and Usopp split from the group first, everyone exchanging good-byes. After a while was Nami and Sanji, Sanji just going a long for the fun of it. That left Luffy, Zoro, and Terin.

"Terin, why've you been so quiet?" asked Luffy, looking up at her with kitten like eyes. Her face was still stern and unchanging when she looked at him. He was about to say something again when Zoro butted in.

"This is where I go," he announced, beginning his way home. Luffy waved a good-bye as Terin continued walking ahead. He turned around and stood there a moment. She didn't turn around or stand to wait.

'Did do something wrong?' he asked himself. He ran up the street and caught up with her. They walked in silence most of the way, the sun sinking lower beneath the horizon. They finally reached her house, but she just stood at the gate.

"Terin," he said, hoping she would answer. She turned her head to attention. "Did do something to upset you?" She shifted her eyes somewhere else, and then back to him.

"No. I've got a lot on my mind," she answered. "I think I'll come with you to your house. It's dark, and I don't really want you out alone." Luffy grinned, knowing that the Terin he knew was back from wherever she went. They walked together, and talked like normal friends, but… there was this uncertain feeling about them that was suddenly aroused…

"Here we are!" he announced. Terin glanced up at the two story house; most of the lights were on. He had a huge front yard, and the landscape about it was beautiful. She was admiring the light bugs flying above the small pond, their lights pulsing along with their heart beat.

"Terin?" he asked, waving a hand in her face. She snapped back, blushing a little from embaresment. She was relieved that it was night time. "Come on! Let's go in," he annouced, opening the gate. She looked uncertain at first, and took a few steps in. It was even more beautiful inside. The moonlight reflected off the pond she was looking at earlier, giving and flowers a faint glow.

"I should really go," she said. "I was only here to come back with you." Luffy, not happy with the idea, went and grabbed onto her arm.

"Please?" he asked. "Please stay here for a while?" she looked at him, him and his kitten eyes. Her expression softened to a smile as her pull away from him loosened as well. They entered the house, and she was amazed with the vast size of the room. It was a grand home, fit for a king, one might say. She took off her shoes, and placed them on a nearby rack. Luffy took her coat, and backpack and placed them by a nightstand.

"Why didn't you tell us you were rich?" she asked, half dazedly. He smiled, and couldn't help laughing too.

"It never needed to come up!" She looked at him, a wide grin on his face.

"Never needed to come up? You could've taken them here and away from my house!" she explained, causing him to laugh again. He grabbed her arm again, and dragged her up the stairs, down several halls, and finally stopped at a door with a monkey plate on it.

"Your room… I presume?" she asked, just to be answered with a smiling nod. He twisted the knob, and slowly opened the door. At first she was amazed at how clean it was, but then she focuzed on the size and quality.

"Wow…" she whispered which echoed in the room. "How do you keep this room so clean?"

"I don't. Tashigi does," he answered just as the person he described came around the corner.

"You called, Luffy-san?" she asked. Terin nearly lost her composure after seeing her. She blinked several times, and even rubbed her eyes, but she still looked the same.

"Tashigi-san!" answered Luffy exasperated. "You're not a maid. We let you live here after you decided to quit being in the police force! So stop being like that!"

'Who is this person?! Why does she look so much like Kuina?" she thought to herself. Terin's eyes focused a bit more, and she ran to the nearby window. Peering out of it, she noticed a jaguar pull into the driveway, and a person jump out of the side before even turing off the car.

'Nice car though,' she thought to herself. Turning, she saw the two still arguing about Tashigi's status of being here.

"Um… someone's coming," she said. The door slammed open like she had mentioned, and the three rushed down to the entrance. Shanks was standing there, panting.

"It's Ace! He's in the hospital!"

* * *

**Like is said... a little too random. I don't know if you can interperate it like this, but i think i snuck something like Zolu in there.. :**

** Luffy's RICH! I really liked the idea of that once it hit my head, so i couldn't help but write it in!**

**Ace is in trouble, but please don't hurt me... I know there are Ace fans out there... But, i still like this chapter! I hope you did too, and the only way i'll know that is if you review! **


	15. Chapter 15

**Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeell, i'm back. I was discouraged when no one reviewed my last chapter, but not that i blame you. It was pretty random. But this one is too, but it doesn't hurt to review. But, i've also been busy with stuff at school and things too. I started watching other animes during my wait for the recent episodes of One Piece to be subbed CORRECTLY. So, i hope you enjoy this chapter. Oh yea, once again, any spelling mistakes please tell me. I caught most of them myself already. **

**EDIT: I spelled "Tashigi"'s name wrong the first time. XD Sorry.**

**" " - Dialogue**

**' ' - Thoughts**

**OoOoO - Scene Change**

* * *

Chapter 15

"What?" yelled Luffy, shocked and enraged at the same time. He ran down to Shanks and grabbed him by the shirt. "What happened to him?" he yelled again. Shanks gently jerked off his hands and placed his own on Luffy's sholder, feeling him shudder.

"Don't worry so much. He's still alive, but hurt badly," he remarked, not helping the situation much. Terin stood where she was, stunned at the information, and speechless. Luffy stood there in front of Shanks and began sniffling, trying not to cry. Tashigi proceeded down the stairs to try and comfort him to no avail.

"Well," began Terin as she made her way down the stairs, "there's only one thing left to do. We'll have to go see him now." Luffy looked up towards at his friend, though her eyes were in their usual blank expression. He turned and gave her a hug, quickly letting go since he didn't know why he hugged her.

"Can we Shanks?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. He nodded and the three went to the car. Tashigi watched as they left, worried about Ace and what Luffy's reaction would be.

The car ride there was silent except for the car engine and rushing wind. Terin sat staring out the window, occationally glancing at Luffy to see what he was doing. He sat with his feet on the seat, knees bent, and his chin rested on them. She wanted to comfort him, but she knew it would be useless.

As soon as they made it to the hospital, Luffy jumped out of the car and rushed into the building. He stopped at the reception desk, asked where Ace's room was, and rushed up the flight of stairs to the 3rd level. After nearly knocking down two doctors while running, he made it to Ace's recovery room. He stood panting, hesitent to open the door.

"Ace," he whispered. He slowly lifted his hand, reached for the handle, gently turned it and opened the door. He saw his brother, laying with his right eye shown while the other was bandaged. Luffy walked into the room, his eyes wide with terror for he didn't want to believe this was real.

"Ace," he said, his voice choking up. He bit his lower lip to keep from crying, but it didn't stop the tears. He kneeled down and rested his arms on the bed next to his brother. He listened contently to the monitor beep, and his brother's heart faintly beat.

"Luffy, there you are," said a familiar voice. He turned around and saw Terin at the door. She came in as well, followed shortly by Shanks, who was apologizing to the staff. Ace's one eye opened and he glaced over at his teary eyed sibling.

"Hey," he weakly commented. "What are you doing here?" Luffy, surprised his brother woke up, couldn't help but feel a burst of joy. He shot up and hugged his brother. Ace winced in pain, his face extreamly contorted. But it seemed to heal quickly as he wrapped his bandaged arms around his brother.

Terin stood a distance, watching as the two stayed embraced. She noticed his pain no matter how hard he tried to hide it. She tried to understand why he'd put up with that even with all the pain, but she just couldn't lay her finger on it.

"Luffy, I think you're hurting your brother," noted Shanks. He quickly let go of his grip and beamed at Ace. Ace patted his brother on the head when he noticed Terin was also in the room. He narrowed his eye a little and turned back to his brother.

"I'm a bit thirsty. Will you go ask the nurse for a glass of water for me?" he requested. Luffy shot right up and ran out the door in search for a nurse.

" I better go and make sure he doesn't end up staying here too," mentioned Shanks as he left. The door shut and only the two of them were in the room. Terin made her way to the bed and leaned against the wall by it. Both of them were silent while all was heard was the constant beeping of the heart monitor.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" asked Terin, breaking the silence. Ace glanced up at her, and smiled.

"I just wanted to thank you in private," he answered, staring back at the white walls. She bunched her eye brows in confusion.

"What have I done to deserve this thanks?" she asked, running her hand through the short hair on her head. Ace laughed, a short laugh that confused her even more.

"For taking care of my brother of course. And also… for something else," he added, lowering his voice. Terin glanced in interest as he continued. "You helped him in more ways than others. When he gets home, he doesn't just ask about me anymore. He tells stories about what he's done at school, and with the rest of you guys. Especially you." Terin blushed and looked the other way, but Ace was more clever than that.

"Are… are you just saying that?" she asked, a bit intrigued. Ace heaved a deep sigh and answered, "Nope. He really does. Why lie when it's so clear what is there?" She turned her head as the door opened up again. Luffy was dragged in by Shanks while a nurse came with a pitcher of water.

"Sorry. I got in trouble with some big looking guy in a white suit. He looked really scary, so I started to run but ran into a couple of things," he explained, rubbing his sore head. Ace laughed as Terin looked back at him, thinking of what Ace meant.

'That can't be it. That'll never be the answer. Not for me…" she thought.

OoOoOoOoO (A week later…)

"Ace! Are you sure about this?" asked his paranoid brother, Luffy. Everyone was at the airport today for Ace had to go to America for further medical treatment. He laughed again and pat his brother on the head.

"Don't worry so much. This isn't the brother I used to wrestle with until he tried to really hurt me," he playfully added. Luffy pouted, but laughed along anyway. Terin stood away from them, watching the busy crowds pass by. Shanks spoke to Luffy about something as Ace slowly limped over to Terin.

"Well, I guess this is good-bye for me," he said light-heartedly. Terin remarked, "it's not like you're going to be going to the after life. There'll be a way to contact you, right?" He laughed, shortly stopping from the pain in his chest.

"I think it won't be bad to leave Luffy in your hands then," he added. "I trust you with my little bro. Take care of him for me, like you have been." Terin slowly nodded, not entirely sure if she really understood what was happening. He patted her on the back, leaned in, and kissed her on the cheek. Terin pulled away, blushing as she held a hand to where he kissed her.

"Just something to remember me by," he snickered as he left to join Shanks. Luffy shared one last hug with the both of them before they left through the gates. He ran to the window and stood waiting, but Terin didn't mind. After a few minutes, the plane took off. He watched it go until he couldn't even see it as a dot anymore.

"Luffy, we should be getting back. Tashigi is waiting in the car," she said, placing a hand on his shoulders. He reluctently pulled away from the window and followed her outside. They stood on the sidewalk, waiting for Tashigi to pull by through the traffic.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking at his feet. Terin glanced at him, and smiled a bit. She turned him around torwards her, and looked into his eyes.

"There's nothing to apologize about. Just study for the exams we have next week and brighten up, alright?" she said playfully. He smiled his unique, wide smile and agreed.

* * *

**Yes, stupid ending i know, but the chapter was long enough anyway to add more to it. It was already random enough, too. See? i'm even putting down my own work! Well, i'd really appreciate it if you'd review this one, since i recently got out of my creative block. I literally could not do ANYTHING requiring creative thinking... including drawing, writing, and other random activities. BAH. end of rambling. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Hmmm... TT Here's chapter 16. I enjoyed writing this one, and i hope you would review it. There's not much for me to say except my updates will be slower now with exams coming up. So here's the 1st of maybe 2 more updates coming and maybe a new story too. So, enjoy and again, please review. **

**" "- Dialouge**

**' '- Thoughts**

**_Flashback_**

**OoOoO- Scene Change**

* * *

Chapter 16

"Ehh That was a long exam time," whined Luffy as he stretched his body out after the long testing period. Terin sat where she was as Luffy got up to join her. "What'd you think of it?" he asked, sitting on one of the desks beside her.

"There's not much to say about it. I'm just glad that after the bell rings, we don't come back for a while," she sighed. Luffy couldn't agree more. Golden Week was upon them and they all waited for the cursed bell to ring, releasing them from their confinded prison.

"Hey!" greeted Nami, Sanji and Usopp. They had finished their testing from another room and returned for their things. They all took a seat while Sanji stood. Robin later joined them after turning in her test to the front desk.

"So, what do we have planned for this summer?" asked Terin, who received a begging glance from Luffy.

"You said we could go to that festival, remember?" he asked, prodding his face near hers. She playfully pushed it away, sending him falling over the desk, right at the feet of Zoro.

"Hey, Zoro!" he cried. "What do you think of the exams?" Zoro grunted and leaned against a nearby wall. He muttered, "It was ok." Sanji sauntered over and glared at him with a smirk.

"You know it was hard for you, and I bet you failed miserbly," he said. Zoro gritted his teeth and glared back with menacing eyes. Terin stood up and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Now, now. No need to fight since this was a test of wits, which I do believe you both failed," she commented. They glared at her, but the rest were laughing. She did have a point. Sanji had been sitting next to Nami, so how could he have possibly concentrated? Zoro hadn't studied a day in his life… until that night where he tried to cram everything before the next day. "How about we all go to the festival then?" she proposed. Everyone made a sound of agreement just as the bell rang.

"Ya-hoo! School's over!" he yelled while jumping into the air. Terin made her way towards Robin and asked, "When was the festival?"

"Tonight, actually," she answered. Terin hadn't realized it was that soon, and quickly made an announcement.

"Does everyone have a yukata for the festival, which is tonight I might add?" she asked. Everyone nodded except for Luffy. They looked at him and Nami proposed that they all go out and find one for him. Luffy was quite pleasured by the idea, but glanced at Terin first.

"If Nami pays for it with her own money," she answered. Nami nearly blew her stack and stomped over to Terin. But she waved it away, saying she was only kidding. They all stopped at Terin's house first to drop off all their backpacks before heading out to the department store.

OoOoOoOoOoO

They all entered the store with all the traditional japanese clothing. Terin wanted to stay outside for reasons unknown to them, and even Luffy couldn't budge her. So, they all left her outside as they went around looking.

'What is this feeling? It's like something tearing a hole into me…' she thought to herself as she watched the passing groups.

"It's called anxiety, my dear sister," said a voice from behind her. She turned around slightly to see Seirou. He was in human clothes to fit with his surroundings. He walked up to her and smiled, but got a surprised look in return.

"How'd you know what I was thinking? Who are you?" she asked , finally turning around. He just continued smiling and sat down on a bench nearby. Her brother sat back, relaxed, and heaved a sigh.

"It's much better in this world than the one we're from. It's hectic whenever I'm near our eldest brother," he commented. Terin glared at him and demanded, "Answer my questions and one more: Who is this eldest brother?" Seirou looked at her now, and shruged his shoulders.

"It won't do any harm, I guess, if I tell you since you don't remember a thing from that day. I'm Seirou, your older brother. Our eldest is Arui. How I knew what you were thinking? It's our natural born mental linking. We can hear what others think. But you were never taught that," he explained. Terin stood, perplexed for she knew the names he just mentioned, but she didn't know how. To her memory, she was an only child.

"All you remember is that you were one child with two parents," he said. Terin looked up as he continued, "You also had a traumatic past, one that kept you distant from other people. You did remember for a while, but lately, you've been more open to others. You-"

"Be quiet," she interrupted. "You've no idea how that went. Don't bother explaining what you don't understand." Seirou watched her with painful eyes, different from what his expression was before. He stood up and whispered in her ear, "I'll let you have this night, then I apologize for what comes afterwards." With that he disappeared before Terin could say a word.

'Damn it. How does he know all this?' she thought just as her name was called. She turned to the store all her friends were in and reluctently went inside. She was dragged in by Sanji, which made her a little nervous since he's always been messing with her and Luffy. When he finally stopped, she saw Luffy standing in his yukata.

"Isn't it great?" he asked, holding up his hands to show her. Terin narrowed her eyes in a content manner and nodded. But her thoughts were still on what had happened before. They paid for the yukata and began to leave the store. Luffy stuck close to Terin because she began to worry him.

'He's so worried. I can see it in his eyes. I should just… calm down and enjoy tonight… for his sake,' she thought as she lightly smiled at him.

OoOAt the FestivalOoO

The night air was full of noise and music as they entered the festival grounds. Some ground fireworks were set off by kids, crakling and popping loudly. The group split up; Nami with Usopp and Sanji, Robin with Zoro, and Terin with Luffy.

"Come on, come on Terin!" yelled Luffy exitedly as he dragged her along by the arm. Her short hair brushed along her face as she went along with him. He dragged her to every food stand he could find, and he ate a lot of anything and everything. Eventually, he was holding so much stuff, they begged him to stop. They sat down on the grass outside the festival grounds so Luffy could finish eating. Terin say quietly as he ate.

"Would you like some?" he offered, his mouth full of whatever they bought. She took one dango, looked at it, and took a bite. She found it rather delicious and finished it quickly. Luffy gave her the rest as he continued eating what he had.

Luffy laid down as Terin continued to eat her dango, which she was enjoying as well. He thought a while, and felt bad for being so selfish and dragging her everywhere. Even though she had a smile on her face, he knew she just wanted to make him happy.

"I'll be right back," he noted and ran back into the festival. She looked back for a while, and stared forward again. She thought, 'He's probably just getting more food. He can eat to much yet stay so small…' She finished her dango and crushed up the small foldable plate that held it.

'He… he's been quite selfish of himself today. After all I've done for him. I can't believe I thought what I did,' she said to herself angrily. She noticed him sit right back next to her without any food and a big smile on his face. She laughed at his ridiculous face and asked him where he went.

"I got this for you," he said smiling as he pulled out a stuffed reindeer. It had a little pink hat and it's horns came out from the sides of it. Her eyes widened in surprised as she took it from him.

'Oh who am I kidding? He… is what I thought… and wished.'

* * *

**Weird ending to those who haven't read my story and to those who've forgotten what happened a little earlier in the story pertaining to this ending, and the stuffed animal reindeer was because i felt bad for leaving out chopper. So there he is!**

** Review please or i'll die a bad writer... XX**


	17. Chapter 17

**Wow, been a while since I updated this one. Well, I decided to steer away from Terin and Luffy, and clue you in on what's happening with the other two pairings. I couldn't think of much, but I wanted them to be like OneShots. Tried, and hopefully did a good job. Review please? It'll make me happy! Enjoy!**

**" "- Dialogue**

**' '-Thoughts**

**oOoOo- Scene Change**

* * *

Chapter 17

The night was still young as Robin and Zoro strolled through the many crowds hording to get to the fun games and aromic foods. The two were silent most of the night, Robin enjoying the peace while Zoro flushed about being with another girl. Not many girls were interested in him for he was feared by many people, even teachers.

'Why's this girl with me? She could've gone with someone else,' he thought to himself as he walked alongside her. Robin glanced over, smiling at him.

"Is something wrong, Roronoa-san?" she asked in her calm voice. He looked at her surprisingly.

'No one's ever called me that. Why is she so nice to me?' He shook it out of him and replied with a no. Robin smiled at him and asked again, "Is it that you feel uncomfortable us being together and that people might mistake us as a couple?" He flushed red again and shook his head frantically, waving his hands in front of him as well, trying to indicate that wasn't what he meant.

'N-n-no! That's not it!" he stuttered. He calmly stopped and looked away from her and towards his feet. "It's just… no one's really been this nice to me, not even my friends. You're the nicest person I've met, even if we haven't been talking at all tonight."

"We're talking now, aren't we?" she commented, smiling afterwards. He looked up at her, the smile warming him. He blushed slightly again and made a thoughtful look to himself while turning away. Robin wondered if he was arguing with himself.

"Let's go get something to eat," he suggested, walking towards her. Unexpectedly, even to Robin, he grabbed her hand and walked along with her hand in his. He blushed, and told himself that it was fine. Robin walked along contently, a tinge of red on her cheeks.

"How about octopus?" he asked, pointing at a nearby stand. She nodded and sat down as he left to buy the food. She looked up at the night sky, the moon full and glowing. As Zoro returned, he paused as he saw her in the moonlight. The rays reflected off her dark hair, and gleamed in her eyes. He felt himself blushing again and shook again, so hard he dropped one of the trays.

'Shit,' he thought to himself. He quickly cleaned up the mess with his free hand, and handed her the other one. He sat next to her on the bench, cleaning his hands of the sauce. Robin slowly ate her snack as he waited patiently, messing with his hands nervously. Then, his stomach growled quite loudly.

"Sorry," he muttered, shyly rubbing the back of his head. Robin smiled and offered him the tray, still having three octopus balls in it. "You don't have to give it to me."

"I know. But I'd rather not have you be hungry the rest of the night," she replied. He nodded and took the tray, his hands brushing past her's slightly. They both blushed, and smiled. Zoro noticed a small smudge by Robins mouth, and said, "Hey, you got a little something there." She reached for the edge of her mouth, but on the wrong side. So, he took it upon himself and wiped it with a napkin.

"Arigatou, Roronoa-san," she said. He blushed again, feeling queazy with all the blood rushing up to his face, and just proceeded to eat the food. Robin smiled at him, somewhat comforting him, and he sheepishly similed back.

OoOoOoOoO

On the other side of the festival grounds, Nami and Sanji were also enjoying themselves. Nami looked around at the flashing fireworks as Sanji just, well, looked at Nami. He swooned never endingly and this somewhat bothered Nami. She enjoyed the attention, but there was a limit to flattery, even with her.

"Sanji!" she finally yelled, exhasperated. "Will you stop? It is extreamly tiresom already." Sanji blinked at her and looked a bit discouraged.

"Gomen, Nami-san," he softly said, walking ahead of her. She turned back to him, and felt bad suddenly. She quickly caught up with him, following close behind. Sanji saw another girl and immediately sauntered over to greet her, and recite poetic lines.

'This guy…' Nami thought in disbelief. She walked on, her head held high in the air as if she had no care in the world about what he was doing. Sanji noticed her defiant look and quicky left the girl.

"Nami-san?" he asked, his face confused and wondering. Nami glanced at him a brief moment with one open eye, and returned to her face held high. He was a bit shocked at first, but soon found out why she was being so ignorative. "Gomen, I didn't mean to make you jealous."

"Jealous?" she exclaimed, aburptly turning around with her face flushed red. "What makes ou think I'm jealous?" He smiled at her and comtinued on his way, her glare following him. She made an annoyed sigh, and paced forward, grabbing his hand with her. Caught off guard, he stumbled forward and quickly yanked his hand free.

"Well, you seemed quite mad when I approached that other lady," he pointed out, trying to hide the red in his cheeks. Nami puffed her cheeks slightly at the fact that he was so quick to catch on.

"Mad? You are just thinking that yourself to cover up for your… your…" she stuttered, trying to think of a come back. He raised an eye brow and glanced at her. She huffed and turned the other way, crossing her arms. Sanji had a soft chuckle and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

"Don't worry Nami-san. You're the only beautiful rose I see," he assured, pleased as he saw her turn bright pink. He smiled to himself, when he was suddenly reuturned that kiss on the cheek.

"And you're Nami's only Sanji-kun," she said in that cute third person speech. He shyly smiled as she dragged him along, holding his hand.

* * *

**Well, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK. I need opinions and reviews :3**

**The following is for those who are jerks and flame people's stories for no reason: ****Except if you expect me to listen to anything insulting from you, please just anon. yourself. Not that i'll do anything about it, but if it really pisses me off, i'll get rid of it. I'm done with listening to people like you rant about nothing. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Phew, chapter 18. This is kinda short for certain purposes, so read and find out why! There's a disclaimer needed, but if I told you now it'd ruin the chapter. So, i'll do it at the end Author Notes. (:3) Enjoy, and please review! **

**" "- Dialogue**

**' '- Thoughts**

**_Italics are not flashbacks in this chapter_**

* * *

Chapter 18

Luffy and Terin walked together to the center of the grounds, which was actually by the edge of a lake. There was a stage set up where festive music was playing as the people walked by or stopped to listen. Terin huggled her stuffed toy and glanced over at Luffy, smiling. He returned the smile when he noticed the other two groups walk into the crowds as well.

"Hey, the other's are here! Let's go see them!" he said. Terin felt a little discouraged, but decided to just go along. Nami stopped in her tracks and waved at the approaching Luffy and Terin. But Zoro and Robin caught up with the group first.

"Yo!" greeted Luffy when they finally made it. Sanji noticed the stuffed animal Terin was holding, and smiled. He was glad Terin was having such a good time, but just couldn't help himself to have some fun. He pulled away from the group with Nami and whispered in her ear something.

"Oh" she said, a mischeivous look on her face. He raised an eye brow, and she nodded. He went off into the crowds as Nami whispered the idea to Zoro and Robin, who also agreed.

"Luffy, Terin," Robin said to get their attention. "How about we go on a boat ride?" she suggested. They glanced at each other, and happily agreed. She and Zoro shared a quick glance and went off with them to the boats. As soon as the two were in the boat, a big crowd came by and seperated the two pairs.

"Robin!" called Terin as she tried to see. The crowd completely blocked their view. As she tried again, the people maning the boats lightly pushed the bost out into the water. Luffy looked nervously over the edge of the boat, but just continued to row. "Hm… oh well. I guess they'll just go later."

Luffy wasn't paying attention to the fact Robin and Zoro couldn't join them. He couldn't take his eyes away from her; the moonlight gave her white hair a beautiful glow. Her dark eyes shined in the rays of the moon. Terin turned her head and suddenly lost all other cares. The two seemed to be locked in each other's gaze when soft music began to play.

_There you see her  
Sitting there across the way  
She don't got a lot to say  
But there's something about her  
And you don't know why  
But you're dying to try  
You wanna kiss the girl_

Sanji's voice resonated across the water while Zoro drummed along. Robin played a violin as accompaniment as well while Nami joined in on the words with Sanji. Even the others on the stage with instrument played along.

_Yes, you want her  
Look at her, you know you do  
It's possible she wants you, too  
There is one way to ask her  
It don't take a word  
Not a single word  
Go on and kiss the girl_

Terin shyly turned away, watching the moon reflecting in the water. Luffy had a strange sensation in him that he never felt before. He shook his head and rowed the paddles one last time with all his strength to have the boat just glide along the water.

_Sing with me now  
Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
My, oh, my  
Look at the boy too shy  
He ain't gonna kiss the girl  
Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
Ain't that sad  
Ain't it shame, too bad  
You gonna miss the girl_

There was a long instrumental part as they glided across the water. Luffy sat back in his seat, trying to not look at Terin. They were headed towards a pair of hanging willow tree branches. Some how, though, the branches parted and they entered a small lagoon.

_Now's your moment  
Floating in a blue lagoon  
Boy, you better do it soon  
No time will be better  
She don't say a word  
And she won't say a word  
Until you kiss the girl_

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
Don't be scared  
You got the mood prepared  
Go on and kiss the girl  
Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
Don't stop now  
Don't try to hide it how  
You wanna kiss the girl _

They looked at each other now, their eyes interlocking.

'Why do I have this urge to… be closer to him? My heart's beating faster and I can't think clearly. What's happening? I've never felt this way before…' She leaned forward just a bit, but not enough for Luffy to notice.

_  
Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
Float along  
Listen to the song  
The song say kiss the girl  
Sha-la-la-la-la-la  
Music play  
Do what the music say  
You wanna kiss the girl _

'What's wrong with me? Why does my heart ache now? Whenever I look at her I… want to be with her. What's this feeling? Is it…' He sat up and also began leaning forward towards her. They watched each other the whole time, slowly closing their eyes.

You've got to kiss the girl  
Why don't you kiss the girl  
You gotta kiss the girl  
Go on and kiss the girl

They were a hands width away when their thoughts slowed and echoed in their minds.

'Is this…'

'…what I think…'

'…it is?'

They closed their eyes and their lips came together into a passionate kiss. Luffy slowly lifted his hands to cup her face and bring her closer. Terin placed down the reindeer and ran her hand through his black hair, stopping at the back of his head and interlocking with the fingers of her other hand.

'Is this… love?'

* * *

**Though it is a bit random, I loved writing this chapter. SANJI SINGS! It made me so happy. But, please review it. I would really appreciate it. Oh yea, disclaimer. **

**"Kiss the Girl" belongs to The Little Mermaid, Walt Disney. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Umm... Well. Haven't updated this one in a little over two months. I thought about trashing it. Was about to when I read it over and wrote this chapter. Same night, I wrote another chapter. Then I thought about trashing it again today at school. But, then I found a book, a really short and to the point one, about writing and it had good advice. So, I bring you Chapter 19 of a long, been dead, story that I almost lost all hope for. I doubt by now that _anyone_ even really reads this anymore, but I will try to finish this anyway. Not much else to say, really, except that I hope you enjoy it -coughdoubtitcough-. **

**Key: You should know it by now. If not, it's pretty easy. **

**OoOoOoO - Scene change  
**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

Terin opened her eyes and quickly pulled out of the kiss she had with Luffy.

'What was I thinking? Am I crazy?' she frantically thought, breathing heavily and fidgeting around. Luffy was stunned and froze in a leaned position. He noticed Terin's flustered expression and crawled towards her to try and clam her down. She noticed it and abruptly stopped him by the shoulders, looking away.

"Let's just go back. I'm kind of tired, ok?" she said softly, her eyes shadowed by the bangs of her hair. He looked at her wide eyed, gulped, and did as she asked. Slowly, they pulled out of the blue lagoon and made their way across the calm waters. It was silent the whole way, neither one looking at each other once.

"_I'll let you have this night, then I apologize for what comes afterwards." _ The words repeated in her mind; the words of her so called "brother". What was so dreaded that he had to apologize for it in advance? The thoughts flooded her mind until they hit the shore with a rough thud. She was a bit shaken, but grabbed the seat of the boat to keep herself from falling over. Luffy held out a hand to help, but she gently pushed it away.

"I can get up myself," she said in a dark tone. Terin stood up and made her way past the boy and onto shore, where her friends had gathered now.

"Is everything alright?" asked Sanji, holding Nami's hand a little tightly. The girl shook her head, still not looking up. Luffy came ashore as well, blushing a red tinge on his cheeks. Robin smiled from behind her hand when she noticed it, but the smile disappeared when Terin pushed past the group of friends.

"Terin, what-" started Sanji until he was interrupted by a flash of lightening and a clap of thunder. Nami clung onto him in surprise while Luffy kind of jumped. But, Terin continued walking away from them.

"Sanji, did I do something bad?" asked Luffy, looking worriedly at his departing friend. All the blonde haired man could do was sigh, shake his head, and answer, "I don't know, Luffy." Usopp showed up from whatever mysterious thing he had been doing during all this and bumped into Terin on the way back to their friends.

"Oh, hey Terin!" he said gleefully. "Where are you going?" All he got in return for an answer was a glance that made his heart skip a beat in fright. He dashed over to the group of friends and cringed behind Zoro.

"What's up with you, Usopp…" he grunted, trying to shake off the trembling boy. He answered through chattering teeth, "T-tt-t-t-terin was rr-r-really mad. H-h-h-h-her eyes were l-l-ll-l-l-like that d-d-day, r-r-remember guys?" Sanji and Robin shared a concerned glance before looking back at their departing friend. She had stopped, leaning against a tree, to, presumably, rest. The confused, raven haired boy studied the three, Sanji, Robin and Usopp, Zoro and Nami also joining in with a confused gaze.

"So I did make her mad," he said, glancing down at himself.

"No, no Luffy. It has nothing to do with you," Robin tried to reason. He shook his head stubbornly, answering, "It was my fault, whatever it is that's making her mad." Robin sighed in defeat while Luffy dashed off towards Terin.

"Luffy!" called Sanji to no avail. The boy just kept running when the rain began to lightly fall, and Terin continued her walking pace. The droplets pattered against the groups skin and clothing, but no one cared the least bit.

"What…," began Zoro, "did happen to her?" asked Zoro, the thought bothering him. The three friends hung their heads slightly as they thought about that day.

OoOoOoOoOoO

His sandals splashed in the puddles of rain as he ran and ran towards Terin. For some reason, he was much slower and tired whenever he was touching water, making it harder to keep going in this weather. They were off the festival grounds, but a nearby temple was where Terin was headed. Luffy lifted his hands, cupped them over his mouth, and yelled, "Terin!!" A clap of thunder covered up the sound of his voice, so she continued on her way until she reached the temple.

"Terin!" he exclaimed, nearing her. She turned her head, her hair dripping with the rain, and abruptly turned away when she saw him as if in spite. Luffy finally caught up with her and stood a ways away, panting heavily. He quickly closed up the remaining space with a few paces.

"Go away," she said coldly without turning around. He ignored her and grabbed her shoulder. When he turned her around, he saw that she was trying to hide something when she walked away.

Fear.

"What's the matter with you? Was is because of-"

"No," she cut in. "Don't just assume everything or anything involves you." He could hear her voice quivering, taking away the cold and hateful tone she was trying to convey. "Luffy, just go away. I don't want you here!" she suddenly exclaimed, trying to push him away. He grabbed her by the wrists and stopped her angrily.

"Will you tell me what the hell is going on?!" he shouted. She tightly shut her eyes, cringed, and answered, "I don't know, ok?! But, I don't want you to get hurt!" A flash of thunder followed her premonition, and a figure appeared from behind Luffy. "Don't!"

"Silence." There was a heart stopping thud mixed with the sound of cracking bones, and the boy fell to the mud. Terin's eyes widened and water specked her eyes, falling out as tears. She tried to help him, but the figure roughly grabbed her before she could and began dragging her away. All Luffy could do was watch helplessly on the ground with a quivering, out-stretched hand in the air. And all went dark as his hand hit the wet ground. Terin was gone, taken by God knows who to God knows where, and here was Luffy lying helpless in the rain while his friends searched for him after hearing the yelling.

'What's… going on?'

* * *

**There you have chapter 19. I thought it ironic that I stopped paying attention to this story when the climax was coming up... Oh well. I might have another chapter later, or tomorrow. But, i wouldn't trurt my word on that since school brings up unexpected things. Now, this has got to be a cliffie I will remember. Luffy's hurt, even I don't know how badly, Terin's missing to, I quote "God knows where", and ** **who knows what'll happen next? Well, i'll see you later. And though I find it pointless to ask at this point, please review. shrug Worth a shot. **


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